Low_Poly _Tree, Insel Grafenwerth, 2020/23

The virtual representation of a tree, as it appears on Google Earth in 3D mode, gives the sculpture its form. The artificial tree has been transposed from virtuality back into the real world, on a scale of 1:1. Thus the real tree and its digital counterpart made of polished steel face each other. The sculpture reflects its natural environment, the island of Grafenwerth. While the "real" tree changes with the seasons and grows larger, the sculpture remains unchanged. The representation of nature plays a major role in the tradition of the arts: from painting to photography to digital imagery, of which three-dimensional virtual globes are the most recent, human ideas of nature have been influenced and manipulated. Google Earth thus represents a new form of this appropriation of nature. The reflection of the visitors in the mirrored tree encourages media self-dramatization, also via social networks. The aim is to produce the sculpture in the most environmentally friendly way possible, using state-of-the-art digital processes and sustainable materials as well as climate-neutral techniques. The carbon footprint created by production will be determined and offset."

Artist Statement AMè

About:

The Kummer-Vanotti Foundation, established in 2018, presents the "Environment and Art Award" for the second time. In 2021, the independent jury has chosen the artwork "Low_Poly_Tree" by Cologne-based media artist Achim Mohné, university lecturer in post-photography and digital imaging. The environmental sculpture park of the Kummer-Vanotti Foundation will be created on the island of Grafenwerth after completion of the construction measures from spring 2022. The plan is to place high-quality artworks addressing an environmental theme on the island. The artworks, which are freely accessible to everyone, are intended to emphasize to viewers the need for a sustainable approach to nature and the environment. Achim Mohné will realize a spectacular object for the sculpture park. In his artwork, Mohné addresses the observation of nature, artistic creativity in dealing with digitalization and at the same time the relationship between man and the environment.