Zu verschenken, 2024

Álvaro Urbano, Zu verschenken, 2024, Metal, paint, concrete, 47 × 41 × 29 cm

Zu verschenken (2024) is a metal sculpture that mimics the appearance of a cardboard box. Its title—German for “to give away”—references a familiar sight on Berlin sidewalks, where passersby leave unwanted items like books, clothes, or toys for strangers to take home.

But instead of cast-off belongings, Urbano’s box shelters a pigeon’s nest containing two fragile eggs. This unexpected pairing—an emblem of new life nestled within an object of abandonment—poignantly captures nature’s quiet resilience in the face of urban indifference.

Photo by Marjorie Brunet Plaza