On May 19, it was presented in the presence of the artist, that gray poplar that had been excavated two years ago on the site of the current University of Vienna Biology Building , kept in a meadow and finally returned to its original location - meanwhile transformed from nature and from tree to work of art.

The idea of transforming the tree from its former construction site into a living, ever-changing sculpture came from Mark Dion, a U.S. draftsman, object and installation artist whose work is primarily concerned with nature and its representation. With the Vivarium St. Marx he has designed a greenhouse for the tree, in which one can watch it as it continues to transform. The Vivarium is located in the middle of the foyer of the Biology Building, which BIG is currently building for the University of Vienna and will soon complete.

BIG CEO Hans-Peter Weiss: "Under the title BIG ART, we bring art into public spaces. Especially in our schools and university buildings we have the great opportunity to make art accessible to a wider audience. The latest BIG ART project, the Vivarium St. Marx, is located in the publicly accessible area of the new University of Vienna Biology Building. BIG ART projects arise from the dialogue between art and architecture. Mark Dion explicitly plays with the use of the building as a biology center by creating an art object out of a tree as a symbol of life."

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