Austria's Stadium Forest Update: Green Dream Or Eco-Nightmare?

In 2019, Austrian artist Klaus Littmann transformed a football stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria, into a forest as part of a temporary art installation designed to raise awareness about climate change and deforestation. The project, titled For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature, was inspired by a dystopian drawing by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner, which depicted a world where nature is confined to designated spaces. Littmann's installation featured nearly 300 trees and was open to the public from September 8 to October 27, 2019. After the exhibition, the trees were transplanted to a nearby site, minimizing the intervention's impact on nature.

Swiss curator Klaus Littmann's art installation

The idea for the installation was inspired by a dystopian drawing created by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner in the 1970s. Peintner's drawing, titled "The Unending Attraction of Nature", depicts a crowd of onlookers gazing at a forest in a sports arena, imagining a future where nature is confined to designated spaces, much like animals in zoos. Littmann first stumbled upon this drawing in 1970 and was immediately captivated by its concept. It took him three decades to bring the idea to life.

The installation consisted of nearly 300 trees, some weighing up to six tons, and included a diverse range of species such as silver birch, alder, aspen, white willow, hornbeam, field maple, and common oak. The trees were carefully selected and sourced from nurseries in Italy, Germany, and Belgium to ensure their health and minimise the ecological footprint of the project. The landscape architecture was supervised by renowned Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea, who ensured the trees were properly cared for.

Littmann's installation was more than just a visual spectacle. It invited visitors to reflect on their relationship with nature and question the role it plays in their lives. As Littmann himself stated, "I want people to stand and look at it and ask themselves: 'What am I seeing? What is it about? What does it mean for me?' I want it to provoke their sense of sight and what they are used to seeing."

After the exhibition closed, the trees were transplanted to a site near the stadium, ensuring minimal disruption to nature. "For Forest: The Unending Attraction of Nature" stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of nature and the urgent need to address climate change and deforestation.

The exhibition's inspiration and message

The exhibition 'For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature' is an art installation by Swiss curator and artist Klaus Littmann. It is inspired by a 1970 dystopian drawing by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner, which Littmann stumbled upon in the same year. The drawing depicts a forest of trees in a huge stadium surrounded by thousands of people inside a city. It poses the question: What if the forest became nothing more than an item on display?

The installation is a statement against climate change and deforestation. Littmann's work is a powerful symbol of the potential future of nature, suggesting that it may only be found in specially designated spaces, just as animals are today in zoos. The juxtaposition of the imposing trees sprouting up alongside the stadium's spectator seats, concrete ground, and floodlights is a striking and thought-provoking image. Littmann aims to "challenge our perception of nature and question its future".

The exhibition features almost 300 trees, some weighing up to six tons each, and includes a diverse range of species, such as silver birch, alder, aspen, white willow, hornbeam, field maple, and common oak. The installation fills the Wörthersee Football Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria, which can hold up to 30,000 spectators. The trees were brought in from nurseries and will be replanted in a public site near the stadium after the exhibition, causing minimal interference to nature.

The exhibition is expected to change and evolve over time, with the forest taking on a life of its own as the seasons change. By day, the forest is bathed in golden autumn sunlight, and by night, the floodlights give it an eerie moonshine quality. The lighting adds to the dystopian atmosphere and forces visitors to question their surroundings and the things they take for granted. Littmann hopes that the exhibition will make people reconsider humankind's future relationship with nature and serve as a warning about the potential consequences of climate change and deforestation.

Species of trees used in the installation

The installation features an extraordinarily diverse range of tree species, including silver birch, alder, aspen, white willow, hornbeam, field maple, and common oak. The trees, some of which are fully grown, were sourced from nurseries and are species found in Central European forests.

The trees were chosen to reflect the native Central European forest setting of the installation. The diverse range of species is intended to showcase the beauty and importance of nature, challenging our perception of it and encouraging visitors to reconsider humankind's future relationship with the natural world.

The installation also includes 16 types of trees, such as larch, birch, silver fir, maple, and lime. The juxtaposition of the imposing trees sprouting up alongside the stadium's spectator seats, concrete ground, and floodlights creates a powerful sight, a forest in an unexpected urban setting.

The trees were carefully selected and curated by Klaus Littmann, the installation artist, and Enzo Enea, a landscape architect with extensive experience working with trees in different environments. Littmann and Enea ensured the trees were properly cared for throughout the installation process, and they will be replanted in a public site near the stadium after the exhibition closes, minimising the carbon footprint of the project and causing as little interference to nature as possible.

The original artwork by Max Peintner

Peintner, a trained architect, gained recognition in the early 1970s for his satirical drawings that critiqued modern life. His works often featured technology, ski lifts, and highways, reflecting his involvement in the Austrian environmentalist movement. In "The Unending Attraction of Nature", Peintner presents a unique perspective on the relationship between humans and the natural world, encouraging viewers to question their surroundings and the value they place on nature.

The drawing that inspired the stadium forest installation was discovered by Swiss curator Klaus Littmann, who was captivated by its fascinating concept. Although he was unable to purchase the drawing, Littmann was determined to bring Peintner's vision to life. Three decades later, he collaborated with landscape architect Enzo Enea to create "For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature". This installation brought Peintner's dystopian image to reality, transforming an Austrian football stadium into a native Central European forest.

The installation featured nearly 300 trees, including species such as silver birch, alder, aspen, white willow, hornbeam, field maple, and common oak. Each tree was carefully selected and weighed up to six tons, creating a diverse and impressive forest within the stadium. The project aimed to highlight pressing environmental issues and encourage visitors to consider the importance of nature in their lives. After the exhibition, the trees were replanted at a site near the stadium, minimising any disruption to the natural environment.

Through his original artwork, Max Peintner sparked a powerful conversation about the role of nature in society and the potential consequences of climate change and deforestation. His drawing continues to inspire and challenge people to reflect on their relationship with the natural world, demonstrating the enduring impact of art in shaping our perspective on critical global issues.

The future of the trees after the exhibition closes

The exhibition "For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature" ran from September 8 to October 27, 2019. It featured nearly 300 trees, some weighing up to six tons, planted inside Wörthersee Football Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria. The installation was designed by Klaus Littmann and based on a drawing by Max Peintner, depicting a world where nature is confined to designated spaces.

After the exhibition closed, the trees were carefully transplanted to a public site near the stadium, creating a "living forest sculpture". This transplantation was overseen by Enea Landscape Architecture to ensure the trees were properly cared for and caused as little interference to nature as possible.

The decision to replant the trees locally was made to minimise the carbon footprint of the project and to allow the trees to continue their life cycle with minimal disruption. The original plan was to replant them in a single location, but it was later decided that they would be moved to various spots around the city.

The future of the trees was carefully considered from the outset of the project. Littmann, who had never worked with living beings before, was aware of the need to adapt his artistic process to the natural requirements of the trees. He collaborated with landscape architect Enzo Enea to ensure their well-being.

The "For Forest" exhibition sparked conversations about the future of nature and the potential consequences of climate change and deforestation. By bringing the forest into an urban setting, Littmann invited viewers to question their relationship with the natural world and imagine a future where it might only exist in designated spaces.

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