From 30 June to 29 July 2018, the Beyeler Foundation presents an installation by the Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto (b. 1964 in Rio de Janeiro) in Zurich main station. The monumental work GaiaMotherTree, a sculpture made of brightly colored hand-knotted cotton strips, resembles a tall tree, extending to the ceiling of the station concourse, which is twenty meters high. A varied program of events for adults and children, with music, workshops, guided tours and lectures, will take place inside the installation.
Ernest Net is one of the most important contemporary artists of Latin America. His work since the 90s has been characterized by the use of unusual materials and techniques. His sculptures and installations often feature biomorphic forms and organic materials.
Neto in recent years He approached a new series of works, which is realizing the collaboration with the Huni Kuin, an indigenous community living in the Amazon region, near the border with Brazilian Peru. The culture and customs of the Huni Kuin, their knowledge and craft skills, their aesthetic sense, their values, their world view, and their spiritual connection with nature, transformed Neto's conception of art.
The work has a large space at the base of the tree where visitors can linger and rest on the seats arranged in a circle. The drop-shaped elements hanging from the branches are filled with aromatic spices and dried leaves.
Photo: Niels Fabaek/Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg
