Nature, Art, and Society

For the Future Platform ReGenerativa, the decisive and inspiring role of arts and culture is a central tenet and premise for the transition to a regenerative future. This impulse exhibition explores this theme—which will be further developed in future formats—through the work of two internationally renowned Austrian artists who have each, in their own way, engaged with the relationship between nature, art, and society: Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) and Lois Weinberger (1947–2020). While Hundertwasser formulated an ecological critique of society and architecture, thereby becoming a pioneer of ecological modernism, Weinberger made natural processes and the independent dynamics of vegetation the direct subject and material of his art. The exhibition thus presents two distinct artistic positions, each addressing the relationship between nature, culture, and the human environment in its own unique way.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser planted more than 100,000 trees on his property in New Zealand and initiated high-profile “tree-renter” campaigns and tree-planting initiatives, including in Milan, Washington, Oslo, and Vienna. His criticism of modernist architecture was directed against the geometric straight line, the sterile grid system of architecture, and the resulting disconnect from nature in the built environment. He countered this with his own architectural concepts, in which nature is directly integrated into the living space—through roof forests, green facades, and the “tree tenants” he developed.

The trees, which, according to Hundertwasser’s vision, grow from the facades of buildings as “tree tenants,” absorb human waste as nourishment, and simultaneously provide shade and oxygen, became an essential element of his architecture. “The horizontal belongs to nature, the vertical to humans”—with this idea, Hundertwasser formulated an architectural program that he further developed in various typologies, such as the Terrace House, the High-Rise Meadow House, and the Eye-Slit House.

His commitment to the environment, however, was not limited to architecture and tree planting. As an environmental activist, he took part in the 1984 occupation of the Au near Hainburg, joined the protesters, and designed the protest poster “Free Nature Is Our Freedom.” In doing so, he became part of a citizens’ movement that brought about lasting changes to Austria’s environmental awareness and political culture. Hundertwasser advocated for the restoration of natural cycles, the acceptance of spontaneous vegetation, and a waste-free society.

His “Koru Flag for New Zealand” (1983) is waving in the exhibition. Hundertwasser wrote his own manifesto on the subject, from which the following quote is taken:

"At a moment in human history

with increasing environmental concern

New Zealand gives an example to the world

because this flag represents peace with nature,

human development in harmony with nature.

It is the sign of understanding

with this everlasting powerful ally."

Lois Weinberger, who saw himself as a fieldworker in the realm of nature and civilization, developed the concept of “Portable Gardens” and the “Ruderal Society,” which was conceived as a counter-concept to the garden as a symbol of dominion over things within fixed boundaries. He filled checked plastic bags—often used by immigrants to transport all their belongings—with soil overgrown with spontaneous vegetation:

"Space is given to the diversity of ignored, economically unusable spontaneous vegetation; an event takes place that simultaneously excludes the beginning and the end, and designates both actors and the audience as participants. Ruderal Society."

Nature becomes a metaphor for social dynamics that remain relevant today—just as they were then—in the context of the numerous refugee movements, and that pose political challenges to us as a prosperous society, as Weinberger demonstrates in his planted railroad track for documentaX in Kassel.

The “Garden” (1994/2002) was realized as part of the construction of the government district in St. Pölten:

“On a concrete surface, plastic buckets filled with soil from the open ground are placed. Since seeds are already present in the soil / the work will develop on its own. Over time, the containers will only appear as brittle / colorless plastic fragments on the overgrown surface. These too will dissolve, and only the blossoms will still recall the initial colorfulness. Later, my work will no longer be perceived / the author has vanished.” (Lois Weinberger 1994)

The garden thrives without human intervention (watering, plant care, etc.) and impressively demonstrates nature’s ability to adapt and regenerate—a quality that should serve as a model for our technological progress.