SCHAUM wins.
WIND ENERGY IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION 2 UPGRADE – Competition »Wind energy art«
DEMONSTRATOR KALMAR/SWEDEN
project description
Centered on plain ground and within the surrounding buildings raises the four meter high »Windfinger«. This »Windfinger« sculpture is white coloured and shaped as an idealised hand with raised index finger and an anemometer-like propeller atop. The hull of the sculpture is manufactured from glass fibre reinforced plastics (GRP). The last member of the index finger houses a generator and is made of brushed stainless steel. The transition between the two materials – GRP and steel – is marked by a translucent ring of embedded LEDs which will be driven by the generator every time the wind is strong enough to rotate the propeller.
The simple thought how children learn how to determine the direction of the wind – to put the moistened index finger in the air, that is – led us to the later form of the »Windfinger« in an instant. GRP is one of the most important materials for the production of wind power stations due to its lightweight, durability and torsion-resistance. Thus the sculpture suggests the use of such a material both from a technical and – through the beauty of the surface – aesthetical point of view.
Within the christian iconography the gesture of the raised finger – not to be confused with the wagging forefinger! – marks the inception of a speech. From one of the popular examples of art history – the remains of the colossal statue of Constantine the Great in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in Rome – originates the design of the »Windfinger«.
Thus »Demonstrator« being the title of the project literally – from Latin demonstrare for to illustrate, to show sth. – translates into the gesture depicted through the sculpture. Through the use of GRP the »Windfinger« connotes itself with wind power without being too literal and narrative and additionally profits from its positive material properties.
As a result of the contextual complexity the »Windfinger« does not have to be loud in colour as well and is therefore kept in plain white with anti-graffiti nano structure. Finally the anemometer-like propeller and design of the last member of the index finger transposes the gesture into a device literally »meassuring« the wind: the translucent ring irradiates whenever wind goes – even at night.
Jury decision
The Jury has selected the following proposal:
Gdansk: The Great Communicator Artistic Demonstrator in Ronald Reagan Park Oscar Guermouche och Staffan Strindberg
Kalmar: Windfinger, Demonstrator in Norrliden SCHAUM
Rostock: In Transiton Monika Gora och Johan Folkesson
Motivation
The jury has been studying the proposals for the three selected sites in Gdansk, Kalmar and Restock. The level of artistry has been very high in all the proposals. Many innovative, imaginative and competent suggestions has made the decision extremely difficult.
The winning proposals are:
1. Gdansk. The proposal by Oscar Guermouche and Staffan Strindberg gives the Ronald Reagan Park in Gdansk a new exciting addition. The work is a quotation “A tree is a tree. How many more do you need to look at” and in the spirit of Hollywood it calls upon reflection whilst at the same time being a beautiful sculptural object.
2. Kalmar. With a playful proposal the artist group Schaum has created a potential landmark in the district of Norrliden, Kalmar. The proposal is making use of associations around the concept of wind but the proposal can also be interpreted in several other ways.
3. Rostock. Monika Gora takes the spectator on a visual and conceptual journey. How will the energy sources of the future look? The proposal, an extremely beautiful design, gives a viable suggestion for a possible shape of the energy sources of the future.
The Members of the Jury:
Jakub Szczepanski and Aleksandra Chomicz from Poland
Martin West (Chairman), Kyrre Dahl and Henriette Koblanck from Sweden
Holger Stark and Petra Steeger from Germany