MACHAS

“Palmen Am Rhein”: Agostino Iacurci’s larger than life palm tree in Ludwigshafen.

Machas Artist Agostino Iacurci adds a new striking chapter to his ongoing series of artworks featuring palm trees, this time commissioned by Wilhelm-Hack-Museum’s MURALU initiative, curated by Astrid Ihle.

Entitled “Palmen am Rhein”, the mural blends the real with the improbable by depicting a larger than life date palm growing in a flower pot.

“When I start a new project, I usually do some research about the context I will be working in”, explains Agostino. “For this piece, I was inspired by various articles on how climate change is affecting the Rhine and its region - and, in the near future, the city of Ludwigshafen could have a Mediterranean climate where new plant species could grow.”

The colourful and vivid design features Agostino’s poetic, bold, yet essential style. “I am interested in reducing the number of elements, as it gives strength to the work and somehow creates an interesting dialogue with the buildings. The architecture [in Ludwigshafen] is quite linear, and the city is full of geometric information, and the mural creates an interesting visual play in terms of shapes.”

“I have a very intuitive use of colours”, Agostino further develops. “Somehow, my choice is always defined by the landscape itself. I try to find a minimal palette that somehow matches or contrasts with the surrounding environment”.

See more of Agostino Iacurci’s work here.