Lena Henke. Schrei Mich Nicht an, Krieger!

About

In her instal­la­tion Henke concen­trates on this ambiva­lent capacity of the space of the Rotunda, thereby creating an aware­ness of the unique char­acter of the loca­tion.

In the two opposing entrances to the Rotunda, the artist posi­tions two aluminium sculp­tures that are open at the top and filled with sand. Henke guides the viewer’s gaze through a system of colors, which accen­tu­ates the archi­tec­ture upwards to the open windows of the circular galleries surrounding the Rotunda. There sand is also placed and trickles outwards and into the sculp­tures through coarse-meshed metal rolling grills. The visi­tors can stroll round the galleries and walk through the sand, hence influ­encing the circu­la­tion as well. At the same time, from up there the form of the objects in the Rotunda becomes visible: they are two over­sized eyes. The asso­ci­a­tion of sand in the eye—an unpleasant feeling involving discom­fort and pain—suggests itself.

The exhibition has been made possible by the SCHIRN ZEITGENOSSEN, a circle of young patrons of contemporary art at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt. The Schirn wishes to thank Jan Bauer and Lena Wallenhorst, Andrea and Andreas Fendel, Lilia and Hartmuth Jung, Sunhild Theuerkauf-Lukic and Andreas Lukic, Shahpar and Stefan Oschmann, Vasiliki Basia and Jörg Rockenhäuser, as well as Katharina and Lars Singbartl for their commitment. In the Schirn Rotunda installations have been presented by contempo