Speaking through substance

The work Baum 1 (2022) by Olaf Holzapfel is a cylindrical form made of woven willow lying on the ground and is reminiscent of a body at rest. It is made using the same technique as in basketry. The work refers to the intangible cultural heritage of wickerwork, a universal method that is thousands of years old and always anchored locally. What is needed is woven from what the landscape provides. In this sense, Holzapfel sees weaving as a regional language. Holzapfel also shows three pictures made of straw with the titles Gesteck (2025), Roter Wald bei Wazuka (2025) and Zwischen den Jahren (2025). Their compositions result from the length and natural colors of the stalks of grain. In Holzapfel’s perspective, it is not only man who shapes the environment, but nature itself is a partner with character, helping to shape our tools, our construction methods and our everyday practices. In Holzapfel’s words, his works are about the idea of a “second nature”. Plants, be it willow or straw, are transformed into workable material through drying, soaking, peeling or cooking. When Holzapfel forms an object from these raw materials, which is given the title Baum, meaning tree, and it actually resembles a tree in appearance, a reference back is created. In this reversal, Holzapfel’s central concern becomes clear: Nature is not the outside of culture, but its inner structure. It is always present.

— Damian Jurt, curator, Bündner Kunstmuseum

Livie Gallery, Zurich, June 13 – August 30, 2025, Opening | June 12, 6-8pm

https://liviegallery.com/exhibition/olaf-holzapfel-michael-sailstorfer/