Irminsul

Irminsul is a video piece filmed in Colombia. The work seeks to draw parallels between the conquest of Europe by Charlemagne in 8th century C.E and the conquest of Latin America in the 16th century C.E. The work references a particularly famous moment when Charlemagne fought against Saxon Tribes in Northern Europe and tried to demoralise them by cutting down a sacred tree. The Saxon people were pagans and worshipped gods similar to Norse gods, but also worshipped nature and trees. Saxons often built stone or wood columns to mark historic occasions, such as battles, and after the battle, every survivor was invited to stand atop the Irminsul and orate. In the piece David is recreating a modern irminsul in a wild natural habitat in South America. The work draws on his investigations into the exploitation of natural lands, by first the colonising Spanish and now Large Multinational corporations. It is comprised of of 1848 pieces of wood. Video 4:33 2022