florentijn hofman builds behemoth bear from conifer tree branches

whether it be in the form of a duck, hippopotamus or hare, florentijn hofman’s artistic reinterpretation of animals sees everyday critters turn into exaggerated, larger-than-life living things. on the grounds surrounding a former aviation school in the netherlands, the dutch artist has recently erected a new oversized animal made from materials found in nature. ‘conibeer’ is a 13-meter-tall bear formed from an overlapping arrangement of hundreds of conifer tree branches, towering high above visitors and curious spectators on site. 

all images courtesy of studio florentijn hofman

realized as part of into nature — an art expedition through the landscape of drenthe — hofman‘s giant ‘conibeer’ has been built alongside student collaborators from terra college, who volunteered to help construct the behemoth bear. organized around a giant steel frame, the arrangement of the large and small conifer tree branches creates a layered effect that forms the shape of an open-armed bear. standing on his hind legs and reaching his front paws towards the sky, the colossal creature dwarfs visitors below, generating a huge and humorous addition to the landscape.  

photo by job saltzer

photo by job saltzer

photo by job saltzer

photo by job saltzer

photo by job saltzer

photo by job saltzer

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