Laokoon and the snapes

“Wood Side Gallery” as part of the Krefeld change of perspective under the artistic direction of Fredda Wouters from Kevelaer in coperation with city marketing Krefeld.

Unusual art in an unusual place. Under the title “Wood Art Gallery”, 20 artists from Germany, Italy, Mexico, USA, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine and Great Britain turned nature into a stage for their art objects. Many great street art motifs can be discovered, but also concrete pipes or slab paths become unique art installations on the area around the Krefeld Environment Center. The Wood Art Gallery was created in 2015, but can still be explored on your own today - as long as nature does not take back its “exhibition space”. But be careful: Weatherproof clothing is appropriate, it can get thorny and muddy in between.

Laocoon was a Trojan priest of Apollo.

In Virgil's portrayal, the story of Laocoon is linked with that of the Trojan horse: the Greeks pretended to leave Troy and want to give the city a wooden horse to honor the gods, but in reality it was filled with Greek fighters. Laocoon was the only one who recognized the deception. 

He struck the horse with a spear; However, this ricocheted. Thereupon two snakes, sent by the goddess Ahtene, appeared, who killed Laocoon together with his two sons. The Trojans believed that this was a punishment from the gods for the desecration of the gift, so they pulled the wooden horse into the city and thus sealed their doom.