Olaf Schlote

Border crossings, transitions, and gateways have accompanied my work for many years now.

There’s this tension between uncertainty and curiosity for that which is not yet visible; that which remains concealed; that which is new. In the space between memory and future, we are suspended in transit, the here and now absent.

I previously explored these patterns and movements in the monographic exhibitions Transit and Memories.

The contemplation of mortality and my last major work Memories ought, in principle, to be understood as journeys - moving testimonies with a desire for transformation, completeness, and healing. Ever since childhood, I have found this healing in nature, and especially in dialogue with trees, rivers, the ocean and the tides.

The new series of works Tides and Trees was born out of my intense experiences with previous works, incorporating new challenges in time and space, namely: the current state of the world.

Tides, the constant shift from high tide to low tide, dictated by the gravitational pull of the moon, are a universal, supernatural experience that both relates to and transcends all living beings on the planet.

Practically every emotional plane is activated when we contemplate the tides. In with the new, out with the old. Memories are carried in and washed away again like flotsam. Here, life and death are united in a single inhale – powerful and breathtaking.

Trees meanwhile hold considerable symbolic significance, both physically and spiritually, in nearly all cultures across the globe. Their roots and trunk represent stability, solidity and support, while the treetops connect the earthly realm with the sky – and thus with the hereafter. Trees store memories across generations, their growth rings marking the passing of time. We talk about family trees and scatter the ashes of our loved ones at the roots of the trees in forest cemeteries.

Especially in areas where trees and forest stretch all the way to the coast, they provide remarkable protection against storms and all kinds of erosion.

In times of great uncertainty and vulnerability, trees can provide shelter and sanctuary.

Tides and Trees is a processual work characterised by great openness and artistic diversity. Essentially, it seeks out both the known and the unknown and explores new methods of expression that transcend what can be said and touched. This series of works was created in 2025 at various locations across Europe and is constantly being expanded and updated.