House Mitanand Bregenz 2017

Tangle and Devotion

Exterior facade and prayer room of the nursing home “Haus Mitanand”
Höchst/Fußach, AT

• Tangle
• Laser-cut, 6 mm aluminum, powder-coated, LED backlit
• Diameter 480 cm
• Devotion
• Gold leaf on glass
• Direct invitation from curator Judith Reichart, Bregenz, AT

Through my engagement with the building, its function, and the grounds that house several institutions, it was important to me to explore the theme of "togetherness" in a sensually associative way.

Formally, the work is abstract, but I start with a controlled element of chance and use everyday objects to determine the form. In this case, I scanned rubber bands, scaled them, and composed them precisely for this location. The ring, in its layering, as a union—as the formation of a unity—as a structure and intersections, as a symbol of communication and cohesion.

In contrast to the open, floating, overlapping intarsia for the prayer room, the rings in the "tangle" intersect compactly into a tangle – a closed, yet organically appearing unit. The ruby-red "tangle" has a signaling effect during the day, while at night the color recedes, leaving only its corona visible, creating a beautiful interplay.

In the prayer room, I applied amorphous, organic-looking rings of gold leaf to the large window overlooking the courtyard. Working on the wall requires meticulousness and concentration, as the leaves are applied piece by piece. Time and slowness are important aspects of the work. The "here and now" is the central theme. The rings form intersections and overlaps, suggesting spatial depth through their varying sizes and line thicknesses. They move upwards like air bubbles, becoming smaller, fewer in number, and less dense, seemingly disappearing "above."

This can be interpreted, if one wishes, as something turned towards heaven.

Heike Weber, 2017