An international art project by the Brost Foundation
Two artists, two continents, one question: What remains? As part of an exchange initiated by the Brost Foundation, Marcus Kiel (*1964) from Bochum and Carey Newman (*1975) from Canada created this sculpture. During several working stays in the Ruhr region and on Vancouver Island, they created a work that connects different perspectives and reveals surprising commonalities. Both artists explore the transformation of landscapes and ways of life in the context of industrialization. In the Ruhr region, coal mining shaped the area for generations; in Canada, it was the timber industry. Here and there, economic progress brought profound changes to nature and society. The sculpture connects these developments with the universal question of time and change. Six panels refer to the past, present, and future—and to how closely they are interwoven.
Marcus Kiel focuses on the Ruhr region. He works with industrial materials such as steel and draws on memories from mining. Quotes and traces, such as the imprints of work gloves worn by miners at the Hugo Coal Mine, speak of community and solidarity—values that have shaped mining. At the same time, he asks: What significance do these values hold today? What will remain of them in the future?
Carey Newman brings his Indigenous perspective to the work. In Kwakwaka’wakw culture, time does not exist as a linear sequence but as a continuous cycle. His works feature the cedar tree, which has played a central role for centuries—as a material, a symbolic “tree of life”, and a link between generations. The cedar branches represent both destruction and renewal: cut down forests, reforestation, and the hope for a responsible approach to nature.
The sculpture invites us to pause and reflect: How do we deal with our history, our resources, and one another? What remains? – The answer is up to all of us.