SCULPTURES FOR SPARROWS
Natasja Alers
Together with an urban ecologist, biologist, and bird expert, artist Natasja Alers investigates the loss of biodiversity in the urban environment in this project. The Totems of Life form a united habitat for urban endangered species such as sparrows, starlings, and insects like wild bees and bumblebees. Central to the research and work is that the totems must make a varied contribution to urban life. The R&D trajectory is part of the Radical City Inc. program.
The totem has multiple symbolic meanings that refer to family clans and the supernatural, such as legends and stories about animals and mythical creatures. The Totems of Life are an ode to the flora and fauna of Amsterdam by symbolically and practically placing them on a higher pedestal.
New sculptural work is being developed that, layered in height, accommodates various endangered urban animals. The work will make a spatial and visual statement that simultaneously makes an active contribution to the urban biotope. The shape of the Totems of Life will be partly guided by the needs of urban animals and partly by Alers' recognizable, organic style that connects with them.
The work is currently being produced on a full scale and has been assigned a location in Amsterdam-West. We expect to place the sculptures in the summer of 2024. The work will remain in place for 10 years. A workshop program for children and residents will start after the installation of the work and the opening.
Natasja Alers (1987, The Hague) Lives and works in Amsterdam. The Netherlands.
Visual artist Natasja Alers graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in the field of ceramics. Alers makes casts of human body parts and constructs them into new sculptures, vases, reliefs, seating objects and installations. Her work has previously been on display at Design Museum Den Bosch, Collectible Art Fair, Art Zuid, PAN Amsterdam, Big Art, Rademakers Gallery and foreign exhibitions in cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Antwerp and Copenhagen. Her work is included in private and museum collections worldwide.