Rod unveils the 20th Woodvetia figure and opens the overall exhibition
The 20th and final Woodvetia statue, chosen through a public vote, was unveiled in Bern on November 9, 2017. At the same time, the first comprehensive exhibition of all the statues made from Swiss wood opened.
In the #Woodvetia campaign launched by the Federal Office for the Environment and the Swiss forestry and timber industry, 19 lifelike wooden statues have been exhibited at various locations in Switzerland since January 2017 until today. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of Swiss wood. This is because there is less and less demand for it: wood from abroad is often preferred or domestic wood is not even considered. This, however, has a negative impact on the performance of our forests and on the job situation in the forestry and timber industries. For this reason, the forestry and timber industry and the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN are working together to promote Swiss wood.
On November 9, 2017, Rolf Manser, Head of the Forest Division at the FOEN, National Councillor Sylvia Flückiger, President of Lignum, Swiss Timber Industry, National Councillor Daniel Fässler, President of WaldSchweiz, and timber entrepreneur Gauthier Corbat unveiled the 20th and last statue of the Swiss Wood Figurine Cabinet on Waisenhausplatz in Bern. It is Hildegard Kissling from Aadorf (TG), who was chosen in a public vote. At the same time, the first overall display of the 20 #Woodvetia statues was inaugurated.
The artist Inigio Gheyselinck created each statue from a different type of wood. The wood he used came from the region of origin of the person depicted. Thus, the statues represent not only the diversity of our forests, but the entire wood chain, from the forester, sawyer, carpenter to the miller.
The first complete show of the 20 lifelike and life-size figures can now be seen until November 16, 2017 on the Waisenhausplatz in Bern. The Swiss Wooden Figurine Cabinet can also be visited in 2018: At Swissbau (Basel Fair: January 16-20, 2018 ) and at Bad RagARTz (Triennale of Sculpture: May 5-November 4, 2018). Dates and exhibition venues where the #Woodvetia statues can be visited will be announced on Woodvetia.ch continuously updated.
