The sculpture Tree of Signs, a collaborative project between Gabríela Frioriksdóttir and French designers M/M, will be the first man-made structure in Urrioaholt.

A sculpture entitled Tree of Signs will be the first man-made structure to be raised in Urrioaholt. The work was conceived by French designers Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag, better known as M/M, in collaboration with artist Gabríela Frioriksdóttir. The sculpture is five metres tall and is made of bronze. According to Gabríela, the tree can be viewed as a monument to possibilities inspired by the generous and rewarding collaboration between different parties, thus reflecting the basis for the residential area that will rise in Urrioaholt.

Gabríela says that the idea behind the sculpture was conceived when M/M came to Iceland in connection with the French cultural festival Pourquois Pas? in early 2007. The conceptual work behind Tree of Signs began then, and basic sketches were exhibited at the Museum of Design and Applied Art in Garoabaer. The tree is based on the same font as M/M used for the cover of Björk’s album Medúlla and which was used as a basis for all printed material and 3D objects that the duo created with Gabríela for the Venice Biennale. The font on the Tree of Signs, however, will be entirely three-dimensional and Gabríela’s drawings will be formed into bas-reliefs that hang on the tree like fruit, or seeds. “When we started discussing a possible collaboration with Urrioaholt and began to study the ideology behind the area, we discovered that it matched our ideas. Also, we had always wanted to raise the tree in an undeveloped area,� says Gabríela.

“We at Urrioaholt heard about M/M through the Garoabaer cultural representative and subsequently took Mathias and Michael to Búrfellsgjá on a sightseeing tour. It is rare to find such pristine nature so close to a residential area and they were impressed by the natural beauty of the site. A short while later a decision was made for the tree to become the first man-made structure in Urrioaholt. It is symbolic and fun and sends a definite message about vegetation and growth in the Urrioaholt area,� says Sigurour Gísli Pálmason, who sits on the board of Urrioaholt ehf.

Collaboration with artists is important.According to Gabríela, the best thing about the Tree of Symbols is that is not on a platform, unlike most other artworks in public spaces. “I find such spaces generally opposed to art because they create a predetermined framework around everything, meaning the work rarely has a chance to evolve organically and become part of the surroundings,â€? she says. This is also reflected in the fact that the font used for the work does not create borders but rather offers possibilities. “The philosophy of form and the philosophy behind Urrioaholt complement each other well. By which I mean playing with the possibilities of nature as opposed to colliding with it; using soft forms that create greater harmony.”

(via urbanpreschool)