Ernesto Neto: The Birth of Contemporous Blue Tree: Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, Germany
Amidst a world rapidly changing under the weight of climate change, the exhibition "I Feel the Earth Whisper" at Museum Frieder Burda invites us to contemplate the fragile beauty of the natural world and our profound interconnectedness with it. Through the installations of Bianca Bondi, Julian Charrière, Sam Falls and Ernesto Neto – including sculpture, painting, video and photography – the show curated by Patricia Kamp and Jérôme Sans, invites us to reflect upon our relationship with the forests and unique ecosystems of the planet, and to rekindle our historically rooted role as guardians of these vibrant living spaces. Exceptionally united for the first time, the artists' works not only draw our gaze outward to the natural landscapes but also invite the living world inside, creating immersive spaces that allow us to experience the interconnected realms of the human and the more-than-human. By weaving together threads of mythology, cosmology, and ecology, the exhibition encourages its guests to listen to and feel the voices and vibrations of the Earth anew.
As the Museum Frieder Burda commemorates its 20th anniversary, the exhibition "I Feel the Earth Whisper" pays tribute to its founder Frieder Burda's visionary spirit and enduring legacy. Connected to the greatest minds and creators of his generation, the German collector built his museum at a human scale. Designed by Richard Meier nestled within the picturesque park Lichtentaler Allee, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Baden-Baden, the museum's light-filled spaces create a harmonious symbiosis between art, architecture, and the breathtaking, contemplative natural surroundings. The interplay of light and nature within the museum’s architecture blurs the boundary between the outside and inside, creating a dynamic and immersive environment that challenges the traditional white-cube museum aesthetic. Situated near the borders of France and Switzerland, the museum resides within the enigmatic Black Forest, a region with legends and spiritual resonance. As a response to the museum’s unique history and positioning in Baden-Baden, a town steeped in the tradition of healing and restoration due to its mineral-rich thermal waters and historical bathhouses, the exhibition explores the concept of healing on multiple levels – physical, emotional, and environmental – calling for environmental stewardship and inspiring a harmonious relationship with ourselves and the Earth.
A rich accompanying program expands the museum space and conventional exhibition practice, engaging visitors to experience nature and community, body and spirit, in new ways.
Ernesto Neto, The Birth of Contemporous Blue Tree, Museum Frieder Burda, 2024 ©Ernesto Neto; photo: N. Kazakov
