Occasionally he would stop and return to the center of the gallery, where he stepped over a dead fir tree that lay on the floor.
In his last speech Speaking about Germany (German: Sprechen über Deutschland, 1985) he emphasized that he was essentially a man of words.
In another instance he is quoted as saying: "When I speak, I try to guide that power's impulse so that it flows into a more fully descriptive language, which is the spiritual perception of growth.
"[nb 1][3] The integration of speech and conversation into his visual works plays a meaningful role in How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare.
In Greek mythology it was associated with the love goddess Aphrodite, to the Romans and Germanic tribes it was a symbol of fertility, and in Christianity it came to be connected with the Resurrection.
Gold had its importance within alchemy, and iron, the metal of Mars, stood for the masculine principles of strength and connection to the earth.
[5] The performance is considered a key work, and was re-created by Marina Abramović in 2005 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York as part of her series Seven Easy Pieces.