Thirty years ago, Switzerland-based artist Klaus Littmann came across a great drawing, titled The Unending Attraction of Nature. The drawing, by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner, displays a scene in which nature is so detached (独立的) from the environment that it becomes just a small piece, preserved for amusement. Given that we are now losing 18. 7 million acres of forests each year, Peintner’s drawing was prescient (有预见性的), to say the least.
“When I first saw the pencil drawing, I was fascinated. I knew that one day this work would be the starting point for a major art project in public space,” says Littmann.
Now, decades later, Littmann has achieved the vision with the installation (安装) of FOR FOREST: The Unending of Nature. The installation sets a native central European forest in the middle of Worthersee Football Stadium in Klagenfurt. With nearly 300 trees planted, some weighing up to six tons each, it is Austria’s largest public art installation.
In the face of climate crisis and deforestation, FOR FOREST comes with the more pressing urgency. As explained in a statement about the installation: “In support of today’s most pressing issues of climate change and deforestation, FOR FOREST aims to challenge our understanding of nature and question its future. It seeks to become a memorial, reminding us that nature, which we so often take for granted, may someday only be found in special spaces, as is already the case with animals in zoos.”
The actual creation of the man-made forest was managed by landscape architect Enzo Enea and his company, Enea Landscape Architecture. It includes many kinds of trees. Having opened on September 8, it attracts surprised and happy creatures to the field. Regretfully, the installation will close soon. In a short video about the work, Littmann says his goal was never to make something that would last forever; rather, he says, “My goal is for this picture to remain in people’s heads for a lifetime.”
【小题1】How did Littmann get the inspiration for his later artistic creation?| A．From a video. | B．Through social media. |
| C．From a drawing. | D．Via the Internet. |
| A．It offers new ways to tackle the climate crisis. |
| B．It warns people of environmental issues. |
| C．It shows the uncertainty of the future. |
| D．It will be Austria’s largest artistic work. |
| A．It won’t last for a long time. |
| B．It was made and managed by Littmann. |
| C．It didn’t attract much interest. |
| D．It includes some special animals. |
| A．A large painting is installed in a stadium. |
| B．An artist seeks to create nature-themed works. |
| C．A painting is used for environmental purposes. |
| D．An artist plants a living forest in a stadium. |
