Josef Dabernig :
Church Park in Retz

Etants donnés: the church park in Retz with St. Stephan's parish church, charnal house and St. Michael's chapel, historic architectural fragments and gravestones, war memorial and bus stop. Proposal: an artistic project that integrates the various elements in an overall concept while taking the various uses into consideration. Result: defeat. Once upon a time there was a charming project. It was presented by one of those solid rocks in the country that churches should be built on: the concept artist Josef Dabernig, a master of systems of organisation, a systems expert who has architecture, zoning and urban planning in his programme, a man of grids, of volumes, of progressions. He puts his formal operations in relation to the proactive arenas and behavioural patterns of the social reality, so his work succeeds in perfectly combining the demands and parameters of public space with his own artistic concepts. For Retz, Dabernig envisaged the completion of various elements: a sunken arena in steps leading down to the charnal house as a central measure, a walkway completed in concrete with standard lamps as well as a covered lapidarium. Dabernig followed the stringent standards of minimal art, the careful positioning of sculptural elements in the space, he took account of the flow of movement from one location to the next and formulated a concept that added rhythm to the terrain while also encompassing the sculptural ensemble. Following initial approval the community of Retz rejected the project with arguments that did not react fairly or appropriately to the dedication of the local government jury, or to the excellent and sustainable design by Josef Dabernig.
(Brigitte Huck)