MICHEAL FROHLICH: A lot of people like it,
but a lot of people dislike it. Well, that’s life. I don’t care.
COMM: Artist and former racing driver Michael
Frohlich has allowed 50 vintage cars to rot in his forest sculpture park.
MICHEAL FROHLICH: I wanted to demonstrate
that nature is stronger than human brain or human engineering or something like this.
When I started with this it looked a little bit ugly, used cars. But now you can see the
nature. The nature is the boss! I just collected them and they had to be old and ugly but original
and complete.
COMM: Perhaps most eye-catching is a gold
tinted Rolls Royce with a rather unusual passenger. Michael recently sold a limousine that would
transport Adolf Hitler. But he still has some iconic pieces of German history in the forest.
MICHEAL FROHLICH: I went there to Berlin and
collected parts of the Berlin Wall. This is a car of the East part of Germany. This is
an IFA and on the other side there is a typical west car of the Western part of Germany and
this is a Mercedes Benz.
COMM: Despite the nature of the decaying vehicles,
the contents of Michael’s forest are still worth thousands.
MICHEAL FROHLICH: The most expensive cars
of all these cars is my racecar. Now this is the Jaguar XK120. It’s still going strong,
not in the moment because no petrol and no oil in it but well I put it here in running condition.
MICHEAL FROHLICH: This is the big Buick,
the black beauty of course, yes. The value of this park, erm well, its one million euros.
COMM: Far from being motivated by money, Michael
was inspired by the words of his father, who had encouraged him to make a name for himself
by the year 2000.
MICHEAL FROHLICH: In this park there are 50
pieces of my life. 50 pieces of the year of, of myself. My father was very proud of me,
my mother laughed about this, this crazy collection. It’s a matter of taste, a matter of freedom
what you can do what you’re allowed to do. I think 60% or 70% like it. And 30-40% they
are not very amused that I take these cars and leave them in the park. A lot of people
like it but a lot of people dislike it. Well that’s life. I don’t care.