At the end of March the object “Stadt. Land. Fluss.” (“City. Country. River.”) was submitted for the competition “Stadtlandschaft. Raum für Einblicke und Aussichten” (“Cityscape. Space for Insights and Prospects”). Taking its cue from the 2011 Federal Garden Show in Koblenz, this art project relates to the theme of cityscape, and was held jointly by the Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe (General Directorate for Cultural Heritage; GDKE) Rheinland-Pfalz and the Zukunftsinitiative Rheinland-Pfalz (ZIRP; Rhineland Palatinate Future Initiative) e.V. The given task requires a work of art that “addresses the theme of the sensual perceptibility of the city as a constituent part of the landscape and makes reference to the places in question”.
in the park behind
the Deutsches Eck,
Koblenz
(photomontage)
16-05-013
in the park behind
the Deutsches Eck,
Koblenz
(photomontage)
16-05-014
in the park behind
the Deutsches Eck,
Koblenz
(photomontage)
16-05-015
Content of the concept:
“Stadt. Land. Fluss.” is an object of perception that relates the subject of the cityscape to a given place. In this case the city is Koblenz. The rivers are the landscape here. The object depicts the static nature of the urban infrastructure and the dynamic nature of the flowing waters. The result of this is not only an antithesis, but even more a correlation. The static and the dynamic are shown to be interchangeable. The city is dynamic thanks to its diverse life. The waters are unchanging in their continuous movement, and therefore static. The static and the dynamic as a mutual exchange is the principle that connects the city and the landscape. This is the essence of the cityscape. The object represents the manner in which the static and the dynamic are mutually determinant. The one arises from the other. The cuboid shape of the urban generates a flowing movement. Conversely, the flow forms the urban structure of growth. The apparent contradiction between city and river, between the static and the dynamic, becomes a single gesture that comprehends everything. The object is a simple and striking metaphor for this. Furthermore, the object possesses an additional narrative aspect. It tells not only of the relationship between the static and the dynamic, but also of its tragedy. It speaks of movement, change and thus of transience. It gives a face to the change. It touches the mystery of time and opens up an epic depth in the subject of cityscape.
Form of the concept:
„Stadt. Land. Fluss.” is a colour object that ties its content to a simple form. The object can be read as a choreographic movement. A basic element, repeated twelve times, sets in train a process that is subject to the application of a comprehensible law. The outer poles are on the one hand a cuboid stability, and on the other hand the breaking-off of a rising movement that the beholder experiences as capable of continuation. The object can also be read as a colour sequence. The gesture of the movement is at the same time a gesture of colour. Red, in various shades, stands for that which is material and solid. Green serves as a threshold colour and refers to the natural in the landscape. Blue in a graded sequence stands for that which flows and moves. In short: red is variety, green is quotation, blue is process. This is the semantics of colour. From this approach, a colouristic ensemble is created that is designed for its effect within a park landscape. The colour experience is completed only by the surroundings. The varied angles of the individual surfaces generate a lively play of light and shade.
Relationship to the surroundings:
The object “Stadt. Land. Fluss.” is about the connection between the city and the landscape. It therefore ideally finds its place between the city and the river, between the historic buildings of the city of Koblenz that lie on the Rhine and the mouth of the river Moselle, i.e. in the park behind the Deutsches Eck. The object is thus not in the city but outside its gates. Neither does it lie in or on one of the rivers, but is positioned on their banks. “Stadt. Land. Fluss.” conveys the dominant direction of motion that is inherent in the object, and leads from the city to the rivers. In its attitude and its nature, the object is therefore in complete harmony with its surroundings. In its external appearance, however, it forms a lively contrast. Simple geometrical surfaces respond to the historic buildings and the vegetation of the park. Strong, saturated colours with a certain artificiality are set off against nature and infrastructure. From this the object gains attention and effect from a distance, in order to be able to realise the potential that is within it. The object has a height, at some points, of 1.30 m, and consequently nowhere blocks the beholder’s view. The beholder perceives the object as a lying element. Placed on a sizeable lawn, it creates a certain distance of perception.
Technical implementation:
The object “Stadt. Land. Fluss.” consists of 13 sheets of MDF with cut profiles that can be fitted (and screwed) together in such a way that the object receives the intended form. The dimensions of the individual sheets are 1000 x 1000 x 20 mm. The whole object has a maximum height of 1.30 m, a maximum width of 2.50 m and a maximum length of approximately 5 m. The sheets have a coat of primer and are painted with several coats of intensely coloured artist’s pigments, acrylic or artist’s acrylic paint. The coats of paint are sealed by a matte clear lacquer with ultraviolet protection. The stability of the object results from the fact that all of the sheets touch the ground and that it cannot be moved due to its weight. The preparation time is approximately two weeks for ordering the materials and one week for production. Assembly on site can be carried out in one day (the same applies to disassembly). No maintenance is necessary. The grass need not be mown precisely around the object. Individual blades of grass that remain at the edges are part of the attraction of the object, its character of being “embedded” in the park landscape.