This mandala has a political meaning
Alfons Kaiser, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z) Magazin
Traduction Ulrike Streubel

 

This mandala has a political meaning

Such mandalas may be soothing to the viewer. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the geometrical diagrams even have a magical dimension. Yet, there is something amiss with the mandalas by the artist Eva-Maria Lopez: the stylised blossoms and the depiction of the branches as well as the squares do not really belong to the ideal world of spiritual contemplation. And indeed: the square shapes are the emblems of the chemical company of BASF, the circle makes reference to Bayer, the branches to Monsanto, the bud to Vibrance and the single leaf alludes to the Syngenta company. Eva-Maria Lopez wants to explore the background of the brave new world of crop technology and plant breeding. The series „I Never Promised You a Green Garden“, of which only one copy is shown here, is characterized by a stark contrast between the contemplative motif and the politically controversial implications, which are, among others, the use of glyphosat or the methods of genetic engineering. Lopez, who lives and works in Karlsruhe and Paris, says that she wants to enrich the scientific discourse with a strong visual message.

Lopez's idea is not far-fetched, she ist very interested in the work of the baroque landscape architect LeNôtre who is famous for his creation of the gardens of Versailles. The symmetrical ornaments of the French gardens are not compatible with the use of herbicides that kill weeds and allow for nothing but „clean“ greenery.

To ensure that her political mandalas have stronger repercussions, Eva-Maria Lopez proposes the realization of a land-art project that would measure 50 by 50 metres. She is thus considering to enlarge the ornaments, so that they would really come to everybody's attention and that they may also be viewed from the sky.

Those who have land to dispose of for the sake of art, are very kindly asked to contact the artist.

 

 

 

original article:

Dieses Mandala hat eine politische Bedeutung; F.A.Z.| Magazin (pdf)

 

Dasselbe in Gruen ; F.A.Z.| Magazin (pdf)

 

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