The sculpture Präsens abstractly unites the common features and inevitable distinctions of Baroque and avant-garde that coexist within the collections of SKD. Its preliminary inspiration is the prominent appearance of rare red corals in the collection of the Green Vault. The most famous red coral object is the statue of the Greek nymph Daphne, crafted by silversmith Abraham Jamnitzer in the late 1580s. Today, the central digital database of the SKD bears her name. The lower part of Gruber’s sculpture, silver-plated bronze, echoes with the corals – living creatures that have been hunted for centuries only to become valuable luxury objects and to represent economic and political power. The upper part of Präsens, painted wood, is shaped in the form of the famous Soviet sickle, which was the symbol of the Bolsheviks and the state symbol of the Soviet Union and was used in many early twentieth century avant-garde artworks by artists such as El Lissitzky.