The iconic 15-meter palm appeared in December 2002 on a major roundabout in Warsaw. This famous installation entitled “Greetings from Aleje Jerozolimskie” is by Joanna Rajkowska. The work was placed there by the Museum of Modern Art.
For nearly 17 years now the palm remains a much loved, and sometimes hated, symbol of the city. However, on 1 June the palm’s leaves withered. To be more precise, overnight the artificial green leaves have been replaced by grey ones, which look dead.
What’s behind the switch to dried up leaves?
It took place on the occasion of the upcoming World Environment Day (5 June). As the artist says, we found ourselves on the brink of an ecological catastrophe. The death of the palm probably will shed light on the problems of air pollution and global climate change.
But, this is not the end of the story of the change of appearance – to see how it unfolds go to Instagram account at @warszawskapalma
