Köln Skulptur #10

Curator: Tobias Berger

The 10th edition of the KölnSkulptur biannual exhibition of contemporary outdoor sculpture adds eight new artworks to the Skulpturenpark Köln. Taking the physical location of the park into consideration, wedged between the Rhine, the Cologne Zoo, the Flora, and its adjunct Botanical Garden, it seemed apt to commission works for KölnSkulptur #10 inspired by nature and corresponding to these surrounding environments.
 
Now, in the summer of 2020, this reverence for the natural environment is charged with even greater urgency. KölnSkulptur #10 opens during a devastating worldwide pandemic enabled through the rare jump of a virus from wild animal to human, escalated by ever-expanding globalization and increased travel.
 
The exhibition oscillates between the smallest work, a replica of Lonely George – the Hawaiian tree snail and last of its species, which died in 2019 after scientists spent fourteen years unsuccessfully trying to find it a mate – by Ayşe Erkmen, and the largest work, two artificial trees designed to camouflage mobile data antennae and other surveillance equipment, initially mass-produced in China and freshly imported from last year’s Venice Biennale, by Dane Mitchell.
 
The “new normal” created by this global pandemic is causing us to see the world through different eyes, and art and art exhibitions especially will be looked at through this altered lens. Raising awareness of international economic correlations and creating a wider understanding of the deep impact these have on the natural environment and vice versa is now of utmost urgency. While KölnSkulptur #10 can’t hope to answer these most challenging questions, it can help to articulate some of the most pressing issues.