Niklaus Manuel Güdel’s work revolves around the memories of non-human organisms, focusing particularly on the plant world.

Ips typographus
2023, Charcoal on paper, oiled oak, metal, pine needles and flyers

In his installation Ips typographus, the artist reflects the effect that humans have on forests. Excerpts of scientific research are integrated into the work on flyers.

In his previous work, Les Arbres se souviennent aussi (2014), Niklaus Manuel Güdel addressed the injuries that trees suffered during the two world wars in Europe. The piece exhibited here looks at the indirect consequences of human actions on forests, displaying the damage that bark beetles have caused to trees. Thus, the effect of climate change on the natural cycle of forests becomes visible. Due to rising temperatures, the population of bark beetles is growing rapidly. Trees can hardly react to the changes and are helpless against the beetles. A 50-year-old spruce can wither within three weeks when infested with bark beetles, losing its needles while they are still green. One possible way to prevent an infestation is to set up traps – could there be other ways, too?