Cosima von Bonin: 7000 Palmen

As part of the  70th anniversary of documenta, the Fridericianum presents an extraordinary project by the artist Cosima von Bonin, who was born in Mombasa in 1962 and now lives in Cologne: 7000 Palmen (7000 palm trees), revolves around creativity, community, and festive moments, as well as references to documenta, art history and social interaction.

The central artistic element consists of chains of pennants, whose flags do not follow the usual triangular shape but instead take the silhouette of a palm tree, an element also found in other works by von Bonin. All visitors of the Fridericianum—children, young people, and adults alike—are invited to pick up their own palm tree garland at the Kunsthalle and decorate their neighborhood, balcony, or living room with it. This way, the project aims to involve as many people as possible in this unique artistic initiative, and to create new encounters between contemporary art and local communities.

Art in public spaces has a long tradition in Kassel, not least due to documenta. Joseph Beuys’s work 7000 Eichen—Stadtverwaldung statt Stadtverwaltung (7000 oaks—urban reforestation instead of city administration), in particular, has had a lasting impact on the northern Hessian metropolis and, as early as 1982, found its own answer to how art in urban spaces can contribute to improving the quality of life of all residents through the means of aesthetics and ecology. Over a period of five years, Beuys had 7,000 trees planted throughout the city, next to each of which a basalt stele was erected—a green intervention in the urban fabric that still characterizes it today.

In addition to the humorous and respectful homage to Joseph Beuys, 7000 Palmen also refers to a work by Daniel Buren: the installation Wimpel-Text-Musik by the artist, who was born in Boulogne-Billancourt in 1938 and now lives in Paris, was also presented alongside Beuys at documenta 7 (1982). For the first time, Buren used a large number of classical pennant chains, the flags of which were painted with his trademark, an 8.7 centimeter wide stripe. These were strung across Friedrichsplatz in front of the Fridericianum, with the scenery accompanied by a selection of classical music.

For her interpretation of a garland, Cosima von Bonin uses the stylized form of a palm tree, a motif with a multilayered meaning. Hardly any other plant is so symbolically charged. Since ancient times, the palm tree and palm branch have symbolized peace, eternity, joy, and wisdom, but also victory, wealth, and abundance in political and religious contexts. In Western cultures today, the palm tree is a symbol of the longing for faraway places and for the luxury of relaxation in distant lands. In regions where palm trees grow naturally, on the other hand, they stand for identity, home, economic prosperity, and characterize the urban environment, cuisine, and everyday life. At the same time, von Bonin's presentation refers to visual codes of pop culture, advertising, nightlife, fashion, and the queer world.

The intervention is accompanied by a number of events—lectures, talks, workshops, and guided walks through the decorated quarters of Kassel—that pick up on the diverse references and are intended to initiate a debate about art, creativity and the city as well as promote encounters and interactions.

Cosima von Bonin occupies a defining position in the art of her generation. In 2007 she participated in documenta 12 and in 2022, in the Venice Biennale. Her works have been showcased internationally in institutional solo exhibitions, for example in Kunsthaus Bregenz (2010), in Cologne’s Museum Ludwig (2011), in Vienna’s MUMOK—Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (2014), in SculptureCenter in New York (2016), and in Mudam–Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg (2024). 

Supported by the Leinemann-Stiftung für Bildung und Kunst, the Stiftung Stark für Gegenwartskunst, the Karin und Uwe Hollweg Stiftung, the cdw Stiftung, the Kasseler Sparkasse, the City Kaufleute Kassel e. V., the Gerhard-Fieseler-Stiftung, and the Kasseler Kunstverein