EKKO BY THILO FRANK

On September 2, the Danish Arts Foundation and Hjallerup Cooperative will dedicate an art work entitled EKKO in Hjallerup, which is located in northern Jutland in Denmark. 

The work has been created by the German artist Thilo Frank.  Ekko is the first of a total of three public art works that were the result of the ”Our Art” project for which the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the Danish Arts Foundation, and the Danish Arts Council were responsible.

EKKO offers people a very special walking tour and sound experience: EKKO is built of 119 wooden logs, each of which is angled slightly, so the construction turns in on itself along a 60-metre corridor.

As you walk around in the work, you experience a unique sound, because footsteps and voices in the corridor are registered by built-in microphones and repeated in the wood logs in a different form – as a twisted EKKO.

EKKO, thus, makes its viewers co-creators of the work. It was important for Hjallerup to have a work of art that took as its springboard the strong volunteer commitment that is behind the city’s major annual event, the Hjallerup market, and its rich mix of associations.

ThiloFrank, born in 1978, was educated at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart. He is known for his work with installations, sculptures, and photography. 

He has created and is interested in interactive works in which the spectator’s participation in the work is a prerequisite for the work’s meaning.

INFO: EKKO, 2012 | Permanent Public Installation | Ø 20m H 3m | modified wood, stainless steel wire, zinc coated steel, aluminum, concrete, microphones, amplified computer controlled sound-system

EMPTYFUL SCULPTURE BY BILL PECHET

 

As part of Winnipeg’s Public Art Program, Vancouver-based Pechet Studio won an international competition to create a public artwork to invigorate the center of the city.

Together with artist Bill Pechet and lighting co-designer Chris Pekar of Lightworks, Lumenpulse provided the illumination for the urban sculpture, called Emptyful, in downtown Winnipeg. Standing 35 feet high and 31 feet wide, the stainless steel frame of a flask-like structure has been installed at the Millennium Library Plaza.

Funded by the Canadian government and the City, the $575,000 artwork represents the idea that something can be empty and full at the same time. “It was influenced by the phenomenon of weather and human endeavor,” Pechet says. “When you first visit Winnipeg, it can appear empty and open, set amidst the vastness of prairie and sky. But within, the city is full of creative energy.”

Lumenfacade RGB LED luminaires are embedded into a beam that transects the flask, lighting fog that emerges from above while a curtain of water cascades down. The enchanting lightshow comes to life at night, attracting hundreds of viewers to the plaza to see it in action. “It’s brought excitement into the city,” Pechet says.

During the winter months, the water and fog will be turned off but Emptyful will continue to display a color-changing light scheme. In its winter settings of oranges, tangerines, and golds, the lights will produce what Pechet calls “glowing embers to warm up the cool nights.”

 

 

“Lighting for Emptyful had to be slender, discreet, and powerful. We brought Lumenpulse into the process early and designed the beam with their fixtures in mind. They were perfect for the project." Bill Pechet

Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Artist: Bill Pechet

OIR - OTHER IDEAS FOR RIO

'Awilda' by  Jaume Plensa

This September, six famous artists from different parts of the world will occupy public spaces in Rio with their art installations. The idea is to turn the city of Rio itself into one giant public art gallery, making comtemporary art accessible to all. The artists were brought to Rio through the project OiR (Other Ideas for Rio) – a deliberate anagram for Rio.

Labyrinth by Robert Morris

Robert Morris, a key figure in the world of minimalism, is building a maze of glass that will be displayed in the middle of Cinelândia.

77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno

The English musician, Brian Eno, who has produced the likes of U2 and Dave Bowie, will be setting up his audiovisual art installation 77 Million Paintings at the Arcos da Lapa.

'Awilda' by  Jaume Plensa

Responsible for the enormous LED screens which spouted water out onto the streets in Chicago, renowned Catalonian artist artist Juame Plensa, will place his large sculpture in the shape of a human head at Flamengo beach.

Fold by Andy Goldsworthy

Englishman Andy Goldsworthy’s, who usually works with natural materials, will have his work showcased at Zona Portuária (the harbor area), as well Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda in Arpoador, and Brazilian Henrique Oliveira in Madureira.

Infinite by Ryoji Ikeda

On September 7th, all six artists will introduce their masterpieces to the city. The choice of locations, which the artists themselves picked out, is as diverse as the their different styles and techniques. The works of art will be on display until November 2nd. The public art project will run every two years until 2016 with new artists showing their creations.

Tapume by Henrique Oliveira