1970

project submitted at the Wrocław 70 Art Symposium: On a flat area with tolerable soil, mark out a circular plane with a diameter of 25 meters. Divide it in half with a straight line. Concrete the northern field. In the tangible center of the concrete field, place the trunk of a thick tree vertically with the roots upwards. In the southern field prepared for cultivation, plant a circle of young trees of the same species as the trunk set in concrete. Place a permanent single-person bench in the center of the circle. Place a number of park benches around the designated circle at a distance necessary for a well-trodden path.

According to Bereś’s program, the roots of the upside-down tree were to be painted green every spring. The living monument “Arena” was completed in 1972, but the young trees soon withered. The tree trunk stood until 1983, when it was cut down because it was planned to make a landing pad for Pope John Paul II’s helicopter there. In 1995, a new tree was erected because the original one was lost. However, the rest of the project was not implemented. It happened only in 2010, on the 40th anniversary of the project. Since then, the roots of the upside-down tree are painted green every spring.

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, 1972, photo: Jan Bortkiewicz (courtesy of the Contemporary Museum in Wrocław)

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2010.

Jerzy Bereś, Living monument “Arena”, 2013 (By Masur – Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15986888)

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2010, painting roots, photo by Uta Hanusek

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2014, painting roots

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2015, painting roots, photo by Uta Hanusek

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2018, painting roots, photo by Oskar Hanusek

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2018, photo by Oskar Hanusek

Jerzy Bereś, Live Monument “Arena”, year 2018, photo by Oskar Hanusek