20 Swiss wooden statues open the session in the Federal Palace
At the start of the spring session, parliamentarians were welcomed in the halls of the Federal Palace on Monday, February 26 by a round of great Swiss personalities such as Johanna Spyri, Alfred Escher or General Dufour. The 20 Woodvetia wooden figures will remain on site until April 28.
Switzerland's history is written in the Federal Palace. Anyone entering the parliament building today encountered 20 lifelike and wooden statues of well-known personalities who have helped shape the history of our country in their own unique way. For example, a statue of the famous Alpine painter Giovanni Segantini poses in front of the Bernina painting in the Federal Council Chamber, or the likeness of Alfred Escher in front of his former office as President of the National Council, or the three Swiss women Gilberte de Courgenay, Johanna Spyri and Marie Tussaud join the statue of the three Confederates under the Federal Palace dome.
The sculptures created from Swiss wood are ambassadors of the #Woodvetia - Action for More Swiss Wood campaign created by Rod Kommunikation, which was launched in 2017 by the Federal Office for the Environment and the Swiss forestry and timber industry. The reason for the campaign is the declining demand for Swiss wood. This is having a negative impact on our forest and the local timber industry.
Each wooden figure was carved from a different type of wood by Zurich artist Inigo Gheyselinck. National Councillor Sylvia Flückiger (President of Lignum), National Councillor Daniel Fässler (President of WaldSchweiz) and Paul Steffen (Vice Director FOEN) opened the exhibition and pointed out the importance of an intact timber chain in front of 40 parliamentarians and guests. Fässler: "The wood stocks in the Swiss forest are constantly increasing. Forests that are not regularly rejuvenated absorb less CO2. Old forests are also detrimental to biodiversity. They become more vulnerable to pests and climate events." National Councilor Sylvia Flückiger: "The figures stand with their likeness for a common concern: Make something of the wood that grows in our forests."
The parliamentary services offer free guided tours of the parliament building during the off-session period. They also go into detail about the works of art on display. The public can also freely view the exhibition of statues in the Federal Palace on 16.3.18, the Bern Museum Night, or on 28.4.18, the Federal Palace Open Day.
