After the 10-metre-high steel sculpture named Phyllōm was exhibited at the Floriade, an international garden festival in Almere, Netherlands, in 2022 and at BUGA in 2023, a national German garden exhibition in Mannheim, it has now been set up as part of the LUGA 2025 exhibition, near the future urban farm at Kuebebierg in Kirchberg, in partnership with the Fonds Kirchberg.
Phyllōm‘s concept focuses on the leaf as one of the three primary organs of higher plants, along with the root and the stem. This type of organ, known as a “phyllom”, is essential for plant life and performs the vital functions of photosynthesis and transpiration.
The sculpture symbolises the essential functions of leaves: oxygen production, air purification, shade provision and habitat for various animals. As an indispensable part of our ecosystem, this leaf-inspired installation is designed to showcase the far-reaching influence of LUGA, an exhibition dedicated to agriculture, the environment, sustainability and other relevant topics.
This artwork, intended as an architectural interpretation of a leaf, also highlights the tensions between the natural environment and the urban space, and between biodiversity and soil sealing. While the red steel mast evokes the red rocks of southern Luxembourg and its rich history of ironworking, the green leaf takes us back to nature and highlights the importance of plants in our environment and their fundamental role in maintaining our ecosystem.
The sculpture, designed by Schürmann + Witry, encourages reflection on the necessary transition towards a more environmentally friendly society, while preserving our cultural heritage. Phyllōm also symbolises the circular economy: it is fully dismountable, transformable and recyclable, meaning that this time the artwork was able to travel to Kirchberg.