To The Birds or an imaginary journey to Brasilia -
Winterthur, Switzerland, 2022
Interventions
For three weeks in September 2022, the temporary interventions were on display inside of the aviary and in the conservatory at the Lindengutpark, Winterthur.
The buildings are located in a public park that is open around the clock. However, the works could only be viewed from the outside.
In the conservatory, they were illuminated from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. by a timer.
The following text is an extract of the accompanying text, which I had mounted laminated in three places at the enclosure of the aviary and outside of the conservatory. It is part of the work and is the impossible attempt to summarize over 500 years of colonial history in dry facts on a few A4 pages:
"The park belongs to the classicist villa Lindengut, which was built by the industrialist Johann Sebastian Clais at the end of the 18th century. Later it was inhabited by business families from the textile or engineering industry.
The equipment of a villa complex at that time included a park, an orangery and an aviary.
Importing exotic birds and plants from distant continents to Europe has its origins in the colonial intentions and expansions of Europeans to other continents.
In the 9 cages of the aviary, in addition to pheasants, cardinals, species of pigeons and ducks, various species of parakeets and Amazon parrots can be seen.
The parrots' range extends from southern Mexico and the Caribbean islands to Uruguay and northern Argentina.
The parrots, one of the more conspicuous bird species, are also found in Brazil.
In my exploration of the colonial past of spaces and materials, I made an imaginary journey to Brasilia."
The text concludes with: "In the Volière as well as in the Orangerie there is a climate of its own. They are artificial worlds that (are supposed to) awaken longings for a better world; they are also realized utopias."
"This exhibition is dedicated to the birds."
Full text (PDF)
Media:
Aviary:
Large enclosure:
- Disc with metal chain: 3‑layered wooden board, painted, diameter 1m
- Rocking chair: bamboo, dimensions: approx. 55cm wide, 1m long, 1.50m high, concrete slab, cast, 4 parts: diameter 1.40m
- Ceramic chain: clay fired and glazed, 66 links of 9cm
- 13cm length, total length 6m
Smaller enclosures:
- Concrete, cast, size: 80cm long, variable height, wooden element: formwork board, dimensions: 40cm wide, 40cm high
- Concrete, cast, mass: 80cm high, variable width, wood: laminated pressed board (found object), cut to size, dimensions 80cm high, variable width
- 5 ceramic elements: clay fired and glazed, dimensions: each approx. 33cm wide, 45cm long, 22cm high
- 2 concrete elements, cast, dimensions: 80cm high, variable width
- Concrete, cast, dimensions: 40cm high, variable width, wooden element: formwork board and laminated pressboard (found object), cut to size, dimensions: 40cm high, variable width
- Concrete, cast, dimensions: 80cm high, variable width
- Concrete, cast, dimensions: 40cm high, variable width, wooden element: formwork board, dimensions variable.
Conservatory:
- Various wooden boards, cut to size, dimensions: 40cm high, variable width, screw clamp
- Tinted glass pane (found object), diameter: 1m, mdf-wood, cut to size, painted, dimensions: 150cm high, pressboard (found object), dimensions variable, pressboard (found object) with graphite drawing, dimensions: 55cm x 30cm
- Laminated pressboard (found object), dimensions: 110cm x 150cm, pressboard, dimensions: 60cm x 100cm, 2x cardboard elements, dimensions: 70cm x 105cm
- Acrylic on plexiglass, fixed on wooden board, 110cm x 100cm
- Sea pine, length: 250cm, width: 20cm, 3-ply board, painted, length: 250cm, width: 20cm, roof batten, length: 250cm, bamboo stick, length: 280cm
- Ceramic element, 3 pieces, glazed, dimensions: largest piece approx. 40cm x 55cm
- Pressedboard, 3 pieces, curved
- Cacti (Echinopsis peruviana), 3 pieces each approx. 145cm length, 3‑layer wooden board, painted, dimensions: 145cm x 50cm
- 4 moulds: formwork boards, cut to size, dimensions of largest element: 60cm high, variable width, table top, dimensions: 110cm x 160cm, 4 bricks
- Ceramics: clay fired and glazed, dimensions: approx. 33cm width, 45cm long, 22cm high
- Existing material like garden benches, work trestles from Stadtgrün Winterthur
Acknowledgement:
- Franziska Matter (firing of ceramic elements)
- Schreiner Widmer AG, Gossau (cutting of circular plate)
- Raphael Meier, Winterthur (cutting of circular plate)
- Anutoshen M. Hüer (transport, technology)
- Mr Walter Küng, Mr Hugo Meister and Mr Walter Müller (Stadtvolière Lindengut)
- Mr Bachmann, Mr Lima (Stadtgrün Winterthur)
Realized with the kind financial support of the Covid Arbeitsstipendium 2022 of the city of Zurich.