K21
K21 is one of the two art gallery buildings here in Düsseldorf and houses the contemporary art collection and exhibitions. The other building is K20 further down the road.
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| K21 (c) MJT |
I had actually planned to come back to K21 at some point during my visit to Düsseldorf, yet as I was walking past I noticed
that there was a jazz festival happening, and by fortune due
to this the gallery was actually free on this particular Sunday (saving 12€).
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| Innenhof K21 (c) MJT |
And so in making my way around I looked up to the glass dome, only to notice
the "in orbit" installation by Berlin based artist Tomás Saraceno.
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| Looking up to the glass dome K21 (c) MJT |
A steel net inspired by spider webs, this interactive suspended
exhibition has a maximum of ten people climbing over it at any one time.
And so naturally I had to give it a go!
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| Waiting in line for "in orbit" K21 (c) MJT |
Truly an amazing feat and collaboration between art, engineering, architecture, nature and inspiration.
The intention behind the installation was to resemble a surreal landscape, or a sea of clouds -
with the observers looking down at the world below, or vice versa
observers looking up at participants swimming in the air.
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| From model to realisation (c) MJT |
Waiting in line I couldn't help make the comparison of monkeys in the
zoo clambering around their enclosure - the use of limbs to move across
the wires particularly.
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| "in orbit" K21 (c) MJT |
A few more facts collected while waiting (a good half hour!) is that the
structure is suspended 25m above the piazza of the art gallery,
encompasses 2500m2, has six inflated PVC spheres and has three levels
that one can move around. It weighs 3 tonnes, and the largest sphere
alone weighs 300 kilograms.
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| PVC spheres (c) MJT |
One concept that I particularly like about Saraceno's work, is that it
evokes another level of communication that we as humans are rarely
perceptive. Exactly like a spider's web, the vibrations of other people
moving around the web is perceptible to everyone else - think of a
suspended bridge or the scene in the hobbit 2, where the web vibrates
throughout the forest when bilbo touches it. And so the work refines our sensors on a different level. Much of Saraceno's work it turns out is inspired by the research of spiders, and a related exhibition even uses real examples of natural webs.
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| Spider web (c) MJT |
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| Spider web (c) MJT |
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| Spider web (c) MJT |
Suiting up into a one-sy and having to wear appropriate shoes really did make it feel like we were about to go "into orbit" and the experience was definitely worth the wait.
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| Going into orbit (c) MJT |
Once onto the web it was quite a work out, since the steel really does move with everyone's weight distribution, and at times can go from being a slight incline to climbing vertically up the wall. Going between the three levels involves climbing through a round hole or tunnel, and the steel expands as one's weight moves from one to the other.
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| Cloud pillows (c) MJT |
A pile of pillows is extremely comfortable to lie down upon and feel as if you are sitting on a cloud looking down on the world, or looking up through the glass dome at the clouds outside.
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| Looking up (c) MJT |
In summary the rest of the art gallery was interesting but not so comprehensive, however the Saraceno installation and exhibition far outweighed any reservations and was well worth the visit. Many people could only observe and not participate, however I felt entirely safe and very little vertico - and besides which, the pillows, walls and balloons give relief when exploring.
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| Saraceno "in orbit" (c) MJT |
Safety
precautions included no-one under 12 allowed, and 12-16 only by signed
permission from parent or guardian. We had to sign a disclaimer before
being admitted and of course good health is necessary, as it really is a
work out clambering around. But so much fun - like being a kid in a
giant spider web!
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| Well worth the experience (c) MJT |
For more information about the artist Tomás Saraceno, check out www.tomassaraceno.com
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