Das Russendenkmal

During a residency at Kunstdepot Göschenen in the Swiss Alps, we produced a series of watercolor paintings based on our study of what is locally known as "Das Russendenkmal" - an imposing sculpture hewn out of bare rock in the Schöllenen Gorge, where in the 18th century Russian troops clashed with those of Napoleon over the narrow passage between North and South Europe. Our focus did not lie on this ancient history, however, but rather on how recent geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine may influence the significance attributed to this large stone cross by visitors. What symbolical traces did these shifts in perspective leave behind?