In late September 2016 an art concept was proposed for the pilgrims’ way in Bad Wilsnack, Brandenburg and submitted as a competition entry (see Report 18/2916 and Report 24/2016). Entitled “Der lebendige Pilgerstab” (“The Living Pilgrim’s Staff”), it envisages a guidance system along the pilgrims’ way consisting of seven pilgrims’ staffs as an interactive means of perception.
The pilgrim’s staffs each consist of three light acrylic cylinders, attached upright around a central pole. The upper cylinder is fixed and can only be raised a little, while the position of the lower cylinders can be changed. They are held in place in the chosen position by the weight of the upper cylinder.
the cross and circle
as a leitmotiv
of historic
pilgrims’ crosses
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the cross and circle
as a historic symbol
of the consecrated
host
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the cross and circle
is the basis
of the art concept –
in content and form
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places the cross
in a central position
and can thus
affirm faith
and assent
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places the cross in
a decentral position
and can thus express
scepticism
and contradiction
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console of
the pilgrim’s staff
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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Examples
of the options
for interactive
changes
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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in the surroundings
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The Subject
The pilgrim’s staff is in general a representation of the subject of pilgrimage. A pilgrim’s staff is the pilgrim’s living companion. It not only provides support; it also moves in the same rhythm, step by step, and is the pilgrim’s alter ego. The art concept makes the pilgrim’s staff larger than life-size, lends it an abstract and aesthetic quality. It expresses both stability and fragility – in constant alternation. In relation to the site, the pilgrim’s staff also represents the subject of the miraculous blood of Bad Wilsnack. In the symbols of circle and cross, the tradition of pilgrimage has been condensed. In the pilgrims’ staffs, the circle and cross are related to each other and placed in a continually changing dialogue. They come alive in a contemporary aesthetic.
The Interactive
The pilgrims’ staffs create their own reality: a staff is there to be grasped. Everyone can use their hands, make a pilgrim’s staff of their own and change it repeatedly. More than that: everyone can express a point of view on a controversial subject by signalling faith or contradiction. Pilgrims can make their path visible and give a personal character to the pilgrims’ way. The citizens of Bad Wilsnack can state their ideas in a public space. They can make visible signs and declare them far and wide.
The Participatory
The pilgrims’ staffs bring pilgrims and citizens together for a common experience of the pilgrims’ way. It is an active experience, a creative deed. Everyone can take part in the artistic accentuation of the town’s appearance. This jointly made image is never complete. It is always in motion. It is alive. Everyone is called upon to join in. Everyone has the opportunity and the power to act. Visual creation is available to all. Art educators can experiment on the objects with school classes. They can discover and discuss formal effects. They can record their experiences. In every case they make their actions public. The tradition of Wilsnack is brought up to date. The pilgrims’ way becomes contemporary activity. The past and present enter into a new mutual relationship.
The Guiding Function
The pilgrims’ staffs flank the way from the train station to the Church of the Miraculous Blood and are close enough together to make the next one visible in each case. In this way they act as waymarks. All of them together form a single entity. Yet, as in a real family, each one has its own individual quality. The pilgrims’ staffs make the route not only perceptible but also bring it to life. They are stations of acting, of shaping. The pilgrim’s staff that beholders see ahead of them arouses an expectation and provides an impulse. The pilgrim’s staff that beholders see behind them provides confirmation and leaves a trace. The staffs guide. And they give guidance. The pilgrims not only follow a path. They create their own path.