Nature Energy Prize 2026 Mountain Worlds – where the earth touches the sky

Experience the beauty and fragility of nature. The images by Simone Litschka depict ephemeral landscapes, painted on recycled materials – a call for you to reflect on your actions and our shared future. Experiencing nature, immersing oneself in untouched landscapes and habitats, and engaging with their beauty, fragility, and the threats posed by humans plays a crucial role in my work. On one hand, I seek the original connection and unity with nature, our roots, and what could be described as home or a lost paradise, while also confronting the fragility and destruction that humanity inflicts upon nature through its actions. This destructive force can, at any moment, turn against humanity itself in the form of natural disasters, as we have increasingly witnessed recently with floods and wildfires. My mountain paintings, in particular, depict a world and beauty that may soon no longer exist. They are partially painted on aluminum plates that I found in the trash and recycled in my artwork. With the choice of themes in my work, I also want to show that we and our actions are inextricably linked to both the past and the future.