Credit: LUGA
200 days ahead of the Luxembourg Garden Exhibition (LUGA) 2025, the 10-metre-high steel sculpture, Phyllōm, is now installed near the future urban farm at Kuebebierg in Kirchberg.
This installation marks the continuation of Phyllōm's journey after its previous exhibitions at the 2022 Floriade in Almere, the Netherlands and the 2023 Bundesgartenschau (BUGA) in Mannheim, Germany. The piece is being presented as part of LUGA 2025 in collaboration with the Fonds Kirchberg.
The concept behind Phyllōm centres on the leaf as one of the three primary organs of higher plants, alongside the root and stem. This type of organ, known as a "phyllome," plays a vital role in plant life by facilitating photosynthesis and transpiration. The sculpture symbolises the essential contributions of the leaf to the environment: producing oxygen, purifying the air, providing shade and serving as a habitat for various animals.
As an indispensable element of our ecosystem, this leaf-inspired installation is designed to reflect the core themes of LUGA 2025, which focuses on agriculture, the environment, sustainability and other essential topics.
Created by the architectural duo Schürmann + Witry, Phyllōm is also an artistic interpretation of the relationship between nature and urban spaces, highlighting the tensions between biodiversity and soil sealing. The red steel mast evokes Luxembourg's red earth and its rich industrial history, while the green leaf symbolises the return to nature and emphasises the importance of the leaf in sustaining our environment.
In keeping with the theme of circular economy, Phyllōm is entirely dismountable, transformable and recyclable, allowing the sculpture to be repurposed and travel to various locations. This installation in Kirchberg serves as a reminder of the essential shift towards an environmentally conscious society, all while preserving cultural heritage, LUGA noted.
This installation, symbolising the intersection of art, nature and sustainability, aims to invite reflection on our relationship with the planet and the changes needed to protect it for future generations.
