A special show attracts visitors to the Metzlerpark
A smell of clay and green grass flows through the small, round room, which is furnished with a double bed and a narrow shelf. A PICTURE HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THE WALL, ON IT ARE THE WEATHER PREDICTIONS. The way this space turns out was surprising and not to be expected when entering the grass-covered hill that rises on an area in Metzlerpark on the Sachsenhausen museum embankment. Actually there are actually two hills that at first remind of the dwelling of hobbits, those protagonists from the books by JJR Tolkien “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”.
The idea for this habitable sculpture goes back to the French artist and filmmaker Laure Prouvost. The hilly shape of the work, so it can be read on a sign, takes up the female breast – interpreted as a symbol for Mother Earth and the cycle of life. And if you are inside the one hill with the small, round room, you actually feel very close to nature.
The mayor stayed here
Since June 26th, the work of art can be experienced as part of the “tinyBe: living in a sculpture” project as one of six habitable sculptures that will be on display in Metzlerpark until tomorrow. You could even report in it, this offer was reported 40 times, says project initiator Cornlia Saalfrank. The work by Terence Koh, Die Wie ein Baumhaus sucht (Die How a Tree House Appears) and Die von Thomas Schütte, whose habitable sculpture most closely resembles a small house, was also particularly popular. Mayor Peter Feldmann also stayed there.
Frankfurt was the central exhibition location of the project, which is defined as a living platform for artistic vision and brings together art, science and architecture. In addition to the Main metropolis, a habitable sculpture can be seen in Darmstadt and Wiesbaden until tomorrow. It is also an experimental project, one that aims to create a space for discussions about possible living models or ways of life.
“We had around 20,000 visitors in all three areas, and there were a total of 45 overnight stays in the three cities,” said Saalfrank. An experience that isn’t exactly cheap either. The overnight stay cost 120 euros during the week and 180 euros on the weekend. The idea of the “tinyBe project” is to be continued in the future – in the form of a biennial or triennial, also every two or three years. In other cities, in other countries.
When asked whether and in which sculpture they stayed overnight, Saalfrank showed the work of an interdisciplinary collective of artists, scientists and architects called “My-Co-X”. What is special is that the group has used a sustainable raw material from this – mushrooms that grow back. “This was used to coat the diamond-shaped plywood elements,” explains the project initiator. The shape of this habitable sculpture is based on a space capsule design by the Russian architect Galina Balaschowa. Instead, air penetrates through the spaces in between and lets the dark night be experienced. “That was a very special experience,” says Saalfrank. You sleep in it on futons. If the surface is too hard for you, you can also inflate an air mattress. The last opportunity to spend the night is on Saturday. More about this: https://tinybe.org on the Internet.