pollen fills MoMA's atrium in an installation by wolfgang laib

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pollen fills MoMA's atrium in an installation by wolfgang laib
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pollen fills MoMA's atrium in an installation by wolfgang laib
9

first image
the artist sifting hazelnut pollen in a 1992 installation
photo © wolfgang laib
image courtesy MoMA

 

 

wolfgang laib: pollen from hazelnut
donald b. and catherine c. marron atrium at MoMA, new york
on from january 23rd through to 11th march, 2013

 

german conceptual artist wolfgang laib works primarily with natural materials and will be saturating MoMA's donald b. and catherine c. marron atrium
with an expansive yellow hue as part of his 'pollen from hazelnut' exhibition on show from january 23rd, 2013. the site-specific installation will be
tailored especially for the space and will be the artist's largest pollen artwork to date, measuring approximately 18 x 21 feet. the natural powder-like substance that laib
will use in MoMA’s installation has been collected by the artist from the natural environment around his home and studio, in a small village in southern germany,
since the mid-1990s. working according to the organic cycle of the seasons, laib harvests the pollen on each tree or flower when it is in bloom where he then exhibits
the material in a number of ways - often sifted on a stone or concrete floor to manufacture a vast luminous field of color.

 

laib also manipulates other natural substances such as rice and beeswax. laib will uniformly place piles of rice in rows and columns within a gallery space,
or use beeswax to build structures such as wax houses and staircases. the artist regards nature as a force to be interacted with through the senses -
however not the objective of his work; rather, to create a space for activity and  reflection to achieve a greater experience.

 

 


the artist applying the natural material across a concrete floor
photo © wolfgang laib
image courtesy MoMA

 

 

 
laib also manipulates other natural substances such as rice and beeswax

 

 


laib will uniformly place piles of rice in rows and columns within a gallery space

9
  • There are other much more important issues that should be discussed from this work.
    For many animals pollen is their only food, so what’s the point of using natural hazelnut pollen if it is only for the sake of yellow color?

    Marta Feio says:
  • I have to agree. this makes me very angry. Pollen is one of nature’s most perfect foods…and has tremendous medicinal properties to humans in addition to being the food of insects and their larva.

    the peaceful meditative qualities of these images is immediately disrupted…what a waste.

    Mary Anne Enriquez says:
  • Hasta dónde hemos llegado al amparo de el arte.Es pobre y ridículoque este individuo vanalice un preciado bien de la naturaleza y un museo como el MOMA, se preste a una tontería.. Shame on Yout.

    I.Salazar says:
  • “After each exhibition the used pollen is kept and cleaned for new projects”

    trevor richard wells says:
  • Solemne tontería…

    Turriano says:
  • just making dots = boring
    making dots with pollen = awesome

    julio egardo says:
  • Dislike . It’s a horrible waste of precious pollen …

    jezynna says:
  • you can not help but wonder about the intensity of the color. more color does not exist. very impressive.

    MvN says:
  • Sorry but before leaving a negative statement, check it!

    First of all, Hazelnut don’t blossom for bees and other insects! Their pollen is spread by wind. That’t the reason, why mother natur produced pounds of hazelnut pollens per shrub.

    second, they blossom normally in february when no bees are flying (It’s to cold and they eat the honey they collected during the year!

    Who of you is eating honey???

    I like his artwork, if you saw it in real you will never forget. The colours are so deep and vibrant! it’s great and it comes from nature.

    more than honey! says:

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