Joanna Rajkowska is the one responsible for this <fill in the blank with any number of sometimes unflattering adjectives> monument at the intersection of Nowy Świat and Al. Jerozolimskie in downtown Warsaw. Only the heavily inebriated would ponder whether this mammoth palm tree is real or artificial for more than a few nanoseconds. For those of us who saw it sober, however, we have to wonder why there is a great fake palm tree standing in the middle of an intersection in this anything-but-tropical city. Constructed in California and made of an odd trio of bendable steel (so the palm can wave in the wind like the real deal), natural bark, and plastic leaves, the tree was conceived and brought to fruition by the artist in order to bring relief to a dreary Warsaw winter.
And, when not surprisingly, some protested the tree as an eyesore to be removed as quickly and completely as possible, the protesters emerged from their homes, clad in bikinis and armed with margaritas, to sit under the tree and guarantee that it remain in its place for many years to come.
Which side will you choose? Keep the Tree? Axe it?
The debate continues.
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