1995 – marble, stainless steel
This work originated in a very different spirit from the other pieces in the park. After years of working with artists, the collector feared his presence and expectations might condition the artists’ projects in some way. So the idea of an “outdoor atelier” was developed, with the aim of making the artist completely independent to manage the project. The area immediately outside the park grounds was entrusted to young Frank Breidenbruch who carried out the installation together with A.R. Penck.
Three horizontal sculptures recalling tusks or horns symbolize metaphysical ideas; these surround a tall cone, representing the earth and physical elements, which marks the “spiritual center” of the field. All the pieces are monoliths in white Carrara marble, carved to create a rough surface, on which are inscribed signs and pictographs.
In 1998, two further additions completed the work, which until that time had been considered “in progress.”
The first was a round marble stone inscribed with a square formed by a list of “magic” words: sartor-arepo-tenet-opera-rotas. The second addition was a round stainless steel plate that covers the top of one of the two water wells on the site. This acts like a mirror for the sky, capturing the metaphoric origin of the horizontal sculptures in its reflections. The steel plate’s form echoes that of the circular marble stone, the base of the cone, the well, and the horizontal pieces (all based on circular forms).
