The work subtly addresses the anthropocentric claim of dominance over the Earth and contextualizes the new construction of the primary school in Berlin Lichtenberg within the global context of climate change, which affects all people on Earth, regardless of their language, origin, or culture. The motif of a photographed spruce tree extends as a fragmented wall print in its original size across three floors of the school. The young, about 8-meter-tall spruce was photographed in sections using a drone specifically for the purpose of creating the artwork. Through UV direct printing, the photograph merges with the white-lacquered laminated spruce wood walls of the school, becoming one with the material. Outside the main entrance, five bronze-cast spruce cones appear randomly placed, as if they had just fallen from a spruce tree. Their materiality and coloring make them nearly indistinguishable from real spruce cones. The winning project in an art-in-architecture competition for the 48. elementary school in Berlin Lichtenberg expands the materiality of the school interior by referencing the natural origin of the material, providing points of connection to topics such as forestry, monocultures, climate change, nature conservation, domestication, ecosystems, and the appreciation of nature.

Credit: Asaf Oren
Credit: Asaf Oren
Credit: Asaf Oren
Spruce cones in front of the school entrance in Konrad-Wolf-Straße
Spruce cones in broze casting burnout process
Behind the scenes: Drone image of the spruce in Bestensee near Berlin