Chicago as a model: Two trees embrace on the Alster
A dead oak and a gnarled frangipani form the first tree art project in GermanyHamburg. An ancient, dead oak is embraced by a gnarled frangipani trunk — and holds one of its branches in its arms, or rather: in the branch. There is a new work of art on the Outer Alster, in the Eichenpark in Harvestehude. It is part of the Chicago Tree Project and is unique in Germany. The initiator is Christoph Lichtenfeld, who lived in Chicago and is committed to his hometown of Hamburg as a so-called Hamburg Ambassador, a kind of voluntary ambassador.
The reason for the Tree Art Project is the 30th anniversary of the twin city partnership between Hamburg and Chicago. What began in the U.S. city in 2014 as a local initiative has now been imitated nationally and internationally: other cities in the USA are using the Chicago Tree Project as a model for their own tree sculpture projects, and artists from all over the world are coming to Chicago to create sculptures.
Lichtenfeld received support for his idea from Hamburg Marketing GmbH, which sponsors the Hamburg Ambassador Program and announced the “Hamburg Tree Art” competition with prize money of 4,500 euros for the approximately 300-year-old oak tree in the Eichenpark.
The winner was Hamburg wood sculptor Franziska Seifert with her design of a sculpture called Two Character Trunks in an Embrace. She first stripped the impressive Hamburg tree of its bark and embedded its
roots in a concrete foundation. Then she looked for a suitable counterpart – and found it in the form of a 6.50 meter long, gnarled frangipani tree trunk from Indonesia. There, the Hamburg sculptor, who has been working in Asia during the winter months for more than 20 years, learned wood carving and how to work with Asian woods from locals. She is particularly interested in combining Asian and European woods to create special installations. During her stay in Asia, she therefore collected many different materials and sent them to Hamburg in a container.
The gnarled frangipani trunk also arrived here in this way. Franziska Seifert chose it as a partner for the oak because of the large fork in the upper section. Because it is a little smaller than her, it stands on a kind of stainless steel stilt. A two-meter-high wooden triangle hangs on the back of the oak. According to the artist, it is a symbol of the fact that the encounter between the old oak and the frangipani trunk “creates something completely new.”
“The ‘Hamburg Tree Art’ project is an outstanding example of creative international cooperation,” says Rolf Strittmatter from Hamburg Marketing GmbH. Artistic inspiration from Chicago leads to the creation of a unique work of art in Hamburg and builds a bridge between the two cities.
Photo: “Embrace of two character trunks” – Marcelo Hernandez