Reif
In commemorating the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus, this project is to install an installation at the building designed by the architects who were closely associated with Bauhaus. In Halle adjacent to Dessau there are many such buildings related to Bauhaus. The water tower that is one of them is the exhibition site. This water tower was designed by Wilhelm Freise, Wilhelm Jost, Oskar Muy and was built in 1927-29. This building has the decorative property of covering the reinforced concrete structure with bricks although it’s function is a water tower that does not normally have people. The interior is also decorated with the fountain and the pendant lightings to welcome people. In early Bauhaus architecture, expressionism and functionalism coexist, and this building also has their characteristics. Susan Pietzsch that is the jewelry artist and the curator of this project focused on the decorativeness rather than the functionality of Bauhaus architectures, and asked me, “What is jewelry for architecture?” Therefore, we planed to cover the water tower covered with decoration of brick again with the decoration of ribbon that symbolizes decoration. It covers the part of the building as if a person is dressed instead of covering the whole building like works of Christo & Jeanne-Claude. The cylindrical shape is inspired by the dance costumes designed by Oskar Schlemmer. The water tower covered with the ribbons creates a chance to reaffirm the sense that ordinary appearance of the water tower gives to the people of the city.
Title Reif (German)
Completion 26 August 2019 (Unbuilt)
Use Installation
Site Wasserturm Sud, 06110 Halle (Saale), Deutschland
Exhibition theme Think Bauhaus - Building Jewellery in Architecture
Size φ20.50m H33.85m
Material Polyester ribbon W100mm L35m N720
Organizing Art Foundation of the State of Saxony-Anhalt
Curation Shmuck2 (Susan Pietzsch)
Design Ryuji Nakamura and Associates
Photography Ryuji Nakamura |