Organ Untitled
The Ruhr is the former industrial heart of Germany. The history of industrial heritage is richly represented and the topography of the area has been given form by amongst others; coal mining. When passing through the area you will see several manmade hills consisting of waste material from the mines, which has been piled like enormous layered cakes. One of these hills is “Halde Norddeutschland” (mound of North Germany) which has been taken into use as a recreational area open to the public. On the top of the hill a landscape has been moulded. This is where Hallenhaus is situated. It serves the function of a landmark and is the main building of the Open-Air University, which is a concept of the artist group Observatorium, based in Rotterdam.
In the Fall of 2009, Observatorium invited me to take temporary residence in Hallenhaus. My first observation was how unprotected the site stands from winds blowing over an otherwise very flat landscape. Borrowing the shapes from the vast number of chimneys and power plants visible on the Ruhr “skyline” I made a sculpture consisting of 27 long flutes, which where played by the wind. The sculpture emphasized the monumentality of Hallenhaus and played along with the almost religious impact of the site.
Organ Untitled
The Ruhr is the former industrial heart of Germany. The history of industrial heritage is richly represented and the topography of the area has been given form by amongst others; coal mining. When passing through the area you will see several manmade hills consisting of waste material from the mines, which has been piled like enormous layered cakes. One of these hills is “Halde Norddeutschland” (mound of North Germany) which has been taken into use as a recreational area open to the public. On the top of the hill a landscape has been moulded. This is where Hallenhaus is situated. It serves the function of a landmark and is the main building of the Open-Air University, which is a concept of the artist group Observatorium, based in Rotterdam.
In the Fall of 2009, Observatorium invited me to take temporary residence in Hallenhaus. My first observation was how unprotected the site stands from winds blowing over an otherwise very flat landscape. Borrowing the shapes from the vast number of chimneys and power plants visible on the Ruhr “skyline” I made a sculpture consisting of 27 long flutes, which where played by the wind. The sculpture emphasized the monumentality of Hallenhaus and played along with the almost religious impact of the site.