Löwenbrücke (Fagus), 2026

This work by Álvaro Urbano is a hand-painted metal sculpture that closely resembles the plant life found near to where the Löwenbrücke (Lions’ Bridge) once stood in Berlin’s Tiergarten. Since the post-war 1950s, this area of the park has been an active cruising site, and Urbano’s sculptural installation evokes its history by constructing an environment of seclusion and secrecy.

This series of specific plants began with the artist’s solo exhibition in 2025 at the ChertLüdde gallery, entitled September and the Lions. The sculptures forming part of the Löwenbrücke series thus continue the artist’s exploration of this specific context. By continuing to re-create the bushes and branches of Berlin’s most famous cruising spot, Urbano challenges the forced erasure of these spaces, a process increasingly exacerbated by policies of obliteration and conservative ideologies. The plants, kept true to their original scale, are depicted in their late-September state – just before entering winter dormancy, at that fragile moment before the leaves fall, which is symbolically preserved and multiplied here.