Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York
EcoEternity Forest in the German Odenwald painted by Mexican artist Ricardo Mazdal
OD 1152 - Mexican artist Ricardo Mazdal paints EcoEternity Forest
OD 1152 is the name of a tree located inside a forest outside the small town of Michelstadt, in the Odenwald region of Germany. The forest is now a green, nature cemetery called Friedwald, a place where peoples' remains are buried in biodegradable urns amongst the roots of the tree of their choice.
In 2007, Mexican artist Ricardo Mazal travelled to Odenwald and became fascinated with the concept of these burials. Mazal photographed the forest extensively and, upon returning to his studio, used the photographs as a point of departure - digitally transforming and merging them with images of his own paintings - to create virtual studies for new paintings. Mazal has recreated the forest in a deeply compelling manner that inspires us to reflect on the meaning of burials.
The Mexican Cultural Institute, Washington D.C. and Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York, are presenting Odenwald 1152, a series of photographs and paintings.
About the city of Michelstadt, Odenwald, Germany
Mayor Reinhold Ruhr from the town of Michelstadt is well known throughout the state of Hessen, Germany, for his innovative and forward thinking style of governing city matters. The city of Michelstadt owns 2500 acres of forest. The forest is widely used for its roughly 18000 people as recreation ground like hiking, cycling and nature education. In 2002 Ruhr dedicated 150 acres of its forest for this green burial concept and created Germany´s second EcoEternity Forest (in Germany called Friedwald). Since it’s consecration, several thousand of interments have taken place. As a keen Art lover, Ruhr immediately agreed to the OD 1152 painting idea of Ricardo Mazdal and donated the tree number OD 1152 for this project.
About Mexican Artist Ricardo Mazal
Ricardo Mazal has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums throughout the Americas and Europe, including such institutions as the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico; Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico City; the Americas Society, New York; the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art; and a recent retrospective in the Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.
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