Smithson

Werner Feiersinger
A sculpture for Imsterberg parish on the Venetalm

Imsterberg, Venetalm
since 15.07.2007

An ambiguous sculptural work that encounters the place with great sensitivity and is not necessarily recognizable as an art object initially, permitting many associations.

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Project description

A concrete object reminiscent of a fence begins to dissolve: parts are missing, others are leaning against the construction so that we can sit on them. It is an ambiguous work, dealing subtly with this location and not ostensibly interpretable as an art object. The sculpture has a rectangular ground plan (5 x 8 metres) and is 2.2 metres high. The individual elements are interlocking. The object is constructed from galvanized steel, with surfaces coated in split-batch varnish. The oxide red gives the illusion of anti-rust coating and the whole is intended to be reminiscent of everyday constructions.

The object may be utilized in various ways. It is conceived for this location and takes up the typologies of the area, e.g. feeding of game animals or huts with surrounding fencing. The sculpture’s function is to create place, and it invites people to stay and contemplate. References to  minimalist sculptures from the 1960s are compelling. The form of the construction refers to a building by Peter and Alison Smithson. Shifts in proportion heighten the artificiality; the elements are oversized in order to underline their plastic character. It is about the realtions of tension between inside and outside as well as the emblematic.