Sculptures, 2006, permanent video installation, in three parts, Kaiseraugst

three 8 min.-loops on three LCD-screens, 18 sculpture descriptions randomly played back through ceiling loudspeakers, DVD, stereo, in three office buildings of the firm Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Kaiseraugst

The image and sound installation Sculptures was conceived for the identical entrance halls of three office buildings of the firm La Roche in Kaiseraugst. When entering or leaving the buildings, the office employees validate their working hours with an electronic card. In each entrance hall, a flat screen was mounted in a position reminiscent of a surveillance monitor.

The recordings being played back on them show endless passages of robots and assembly lines and simulate the view into the packaging center on the same grounds. Loudspeakers are installed on the ceiling, out of which different voices are to be heard. The described sculptures are from the firm’s own collection, but are not found on the same grounds.

“The upper edge is horizontal with a downward arched dent in the middle.” – “One element supports the next: they are tightly screwed together and depend on each other” or “three meters high, three meters wide, four meters long and likely weighing a few tons, they stand on the floor with astonishing elegance.” Separated by pauses of various length, single sentences and paragraphs of sculpture descriptions are randomly played back.

The daily working hours validation process is accompanied with text fragments of a different world: that of art. The sculpture descriptions contrast with the visual environment of the firm shown on the flat screen. The spectator begins to associate the texts with the repetitive actions of the video.

Texts: Esther Hiepler, Fränzi Madörin, Casper Mangold, Markus Wolff, Isabel Zürcher, Christine Zufferey

Voices: Roberto Bargellini, Klaus Brömmelmeier, Michèle Fuchs, Ueli Jäggi, Desirée Meiser, Susanne-Marie Wrage

Production: freihändler filmproduktion gmbh, Basel
Technique: Tweaklab – tools for media and art AG , Basel
Camera: Thomas Isler
Cut and sound: Max Philipp Schmid
Installation: LCD-screens, loudspeakers, DVD-player, 6-CD changer, mixer amplifier