Elisabeth Schafzahl
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Be Sitz Objekt
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The media sculpture Be-Sitz-Objekt in Gutenbrunnerpark in Baden had already been renovated twice and could not remain in its original form because the camera, which was placed on a light pole, was dismantled and the safety glasses embedded in the concrete block were damaged.
The old work consisted of a concrete block into which three monitors were inserted. The monitors displayed the image from the camera mounted in front of the sculpture. The art project aimed to place more benches in the city of Baden that showed this image, which was created in the Gutenbrunnerpark. The seating object allows the intention to confront oneself and one's own image and to inscribe this into the seating object work.
What we see looks back at us (Georges Didi – Hubermann)
"What we see looks back at us" is Didi-Huberman's initial thesis, with the metaphorical character of the statement lying in the double meaning of the original "ce qui nous regarde," which means both "to look" and "to concern." When we truly see something (and do not overlook or repress it), that is, when we are looked at by something, a disturbance occurs. The seer or the looked-at one encounters what concerns him with a mixture of fascination and defense (Ronald Berg: Kunstforum 171, 2004).
Verborgen liegt, was du nicht sehen willst..., 2025
The new work "Verborgen liegt, was du nicht sehen willst..." is like a metallic protective cover over the original work "Seating Object".
The text "Verborgen liegt, was du nicht sehen willst" is laser-engraved into the metal shell. The text refers to the well-known saying "What you cannot see is hidden," but it also relates to the backstory of the media sculpture Be-Sitz-Objekt. The letters, which are cut out of the metal, allow the underlying original media sculpture to remain visible.
Through this introspection, the old sculpture not only receives a shell but also a new gaze directed at it, a new gaze in the same place. No camera eye and camera image evoke or provoke the 'possessors,' but the inscription 'Verborgen liegt, was du nicht sehen willst...' presents a new invitation in the space.
In this transition from a digital video sculpture to a written sculpture, the temporality from 2001 to 2025 becomes visible. A new aspect of temporality in the sculpture arises through the patina. The gray steel discolors due to the sulfur content of the air in Baden and increasingly turns yellowish and rusty red.
(Elisabeth Schafzahl)
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