Herwig Turk :
Mödling Primary School

Spurenelement (Trace Element) seeks to establish a connection between art and everyday life at school. For this purpose, the series of movements have been used which fill the school building with life every day. The school building actually remains unused and empty for approx. 2/3 of the day (with the exception of the caretaker’s apartment). Only during the time when classes are being held (and more precisely only during the breaks) does the building really come alive. Spurenelement functions synchronously with this rhythm. The more movement there is in the school building, the more parts of the display are activated. Only when movement is registered in all the corridors and halls are all the parts of the display activated. Yet even individual movements leave traces behind on the display. If e.g. a pupil goes from the classroom to the WC, then two or more parts of the display are activated, one after the other. Approx. 7 seconds after the pupil has disappeared from one of the rooms, the corresponding display then goes out. In this way, those traces are presented which have been registered and transmitted by means of movement sensors. Those people in the school building who have seen through the system can then generate the work of art themselves by means of co-ordinated movements. The sign used on the display is originally the "*" sign of the font Topas 8 pt. in the programme Deluxe Paint IV. Enlarged and rastered it is used by Herwig Turk as a place-marker/symbol/logo for his artistic work.