Present: Bernd, Coral Lambert, Felicia Glidden, Susan Farrow, Chris Park, Uli, Glen Campbell + Johanna.
Corrections to last minutes:
- Apologies were made to Uli for nto being listed as present: he was present at the last meeting.
- Bernd clarified the budget, there is no spoken budget as such the range of 5 – 10,000 Euro is probably not a problem. But the more involved students of the school are the more likely funding will become available through grants etc.
We moved to discussion of individuals ideas for the plaza sculpture:
Johanna: to involve every student she would ask them to bring an object to put into the sculpture, a memento that they would recognize as their work : from the group questions were asked about the maintenance of this and how it would remain alive: for example if students added to it each year it is like building a history, but who would facilitate it?
Her other idea involves the tree growing up – maturing ‘ represented by strand of steel filling the whole plaza, the tree would grow up through and around the steel becoming one. Each class could design a strand or be represented by a strand of steel. The concerns of this is damage to the tree, even though the tree could handle it visually it might look disturbing or even violent with the steel constricting its growth.
Maybe a construction of willow not using nails. ? what will grow in the plaza what is the light like. How will the tree be in 5 or ten years.
The essence of Johanna’s proposal is that the students have ownership and it reflects the growing up together in the school where the tree is the heart.
Felicia had a design similar to Johannas as far as the plaza would be filled with upright forms that stretch and cut through and up the space form the ground to the sky, reaching for the limits and breaking up the formality of the architecture. Then a gaint beehive form which the tree would grow through, the beehive represented community – a buzzing maybe it could incorporate sound. The beehive is also something recognizable that everybody can relate to. The beehive could be a seating area. In essence the idea of a forest, a community, power in the number creating a healthy community.
Glen’s focus was to challenge the antiseptic space of the plaza, the straight lines being overruled by a magical fantasy land for example a giant shell, bringing something quite unexpected to the space, he suggested Johanna’s strands of steel and Felicia’s spikes become giant blades of grass. Create a whole new environment like looking into a terrarium. He feels it is essential to activate the space and allow movement throughout it.
Chris’s drawings had the flavor of a playground, one idea is to build modular sections using bricks with text that come up off the floor, static kites, multi colored resin tiles that’s are transulsent and overhanging to see them from above and below. Students could write wishes. Another idea placed several brightly colored atom forms, like a psychedelic
Atom bubble forms positioned as if in a zen garden. Made of fiberglass (Glen mentioned an inexpensive fiberglass concrete material that can be brightly colored – making it student proof)
- Everyone likes the color in moderation so that the older students did not think it too kindergarten.
Susan: Maybe more plants, trees to soften the plaza could be planted. Enoys the ide of the space becoming very interactive.
Uli: something musical as there is no music classes: he suggested a player piano to not only hear but see: students could compose music for it. There is concern about it being outside?
Coral suggested as they do not have a meeting space maybe in the design a platform could be created, a sculptural stage for outdoor classes and performances such as Uli is suggesting. Also use solar lighting. It is important for the space to be able to grow and for the students to be able to use it, not to overcrowd the space with the sculpture.
SOME CONCLUSIONS:
* It is important that the school and students be involved at the early stages to create ownership in the project.
* The plaza must be open and inviting. (even if it is not open now it may be in the future)
* Can some of the ideas work together? It is after all a collaborative project between salem2salem.
WHAT NEXT:
Johanna offered to work with the students when they return to the school to ask what they think.
Bernd set up a meeting with the teacher : some of us met informally on the boat.
MEET Sunday at 2pm Bernd’s Office. TODAY !! We will create a timeline of what needs to be done and try to assign tasks/roles within the core group.
Chow Coral X!
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AUGUST 14TH MEETING
Salem 2 Salem Sculpture Opportunity
Hello All,
The Sculptors were invited to a meeting to brainstorm about a collaborative Sculpture Project between participants of S2S to celebrate the spirit of the exchange.
Fredrickshafen School are very interested in installing this in a beautiful Interior Plaza. Bernd, Stephan and Peter have already been talking with the school and everyone is excited to see what can be done. Please find below the minutes of the meeting.
Present: Bernd, Stephan, Peter Lunberg, Coral Lambert, Felicia Glidden, Susan Farrow, Chris Park, + Johanna.
Minutes:
We looked at images of the Plaza site : Chris will put these up on flicker for you to view.
The site has a gravel square in the middle with a tree in the centre of this. This is a very rigid design and we are concerned that this is a feature that may dominate the area : can it be incorporated?
Berndt asked who would like to be the representative for the group and Peter suggested Coral.
Coral recommended that it is too early to decide upon this and suggested that it should be two people, one from Germany and one from the USA: Felicia and Johanna expressed interest in doing this. But it will be left open for now.
Felicia asked about Bugdet and Timeline: Berndt replied it depends on the concept that is put forward so go for it! There may be a budget of up to E 40,000. The timeline is the future and maybe this can be written into the proposal.
We want to achieve some drawings and possibly a model before the end of the symposium.
Ideas about materials were discussed: maybe a skin to project upon, use different materials to reflect the ways people work. Vhris described an architectural mountain form with linear structure. Consider it is outside.
Stephan noted to consider its context as it is in a school, it was bought to our attention that students are excluded from the plaza … why? Can the artwork reflect their situation, can we invite them into the plaza to experience the sculpture?
Bernd suggested the courtyard be a meeting point and described a zen garden type piece that was interactive.
Johanna is keen to have the Sculpture as interactive by the students as possible. Maybe it can provide a platform for them to express themselves.
Felecia bought up the concern of how to attach things to the building.
Coral recommended that these things should be coordinated with the building and maintenance at the school but we should find out what the building is made of, all we know is brick and glass. How many floors is the building, how high?
Peter mentioned that there are also automatic shade blinds that open and close according to the sunlight which may change how people viewe the sculpture from inside to out.
Johanna asked what they studied at the school, Berndt replied they study technical, high school and domestic skills : Maybe these three things can be represented in materials – metal, fabric, wood, paper.
Coral suggested including text, sound, poetry, light.
Berndt expressed that it would be a possibility to involve the students.
The discussion moved to how this could happen and if it may distract from the production of a good sculpture. But it resulted in the feeling that it is important to involve the students in something early on so they feel a part of it and it is not a surprise when the sculpture suddenly appears next summer.
After discussing some more ideas of what the framework or system for the sculpture maybe we decided upon the main concept of ‘Network’.
NEXT Meeting: Monday after lunch.
Please bring rough ‘network’ concept drawings with you. It is hoped that concept drawings may go in the exhibition on 20thAugust. (These drawings could also go on exhibition at the School). If you cannot make the meeting please hand your drawing to either Peter, Chris, Felecia, Susan, Johanna or Coral. Thanks
Chris: Please let everyone know when the plaza images are available.
Berndt: We need a floor plan and architectural information for the plaza that we can put up on the notice board in the Nue Museum.
