Light Pavilion I

source:jeppeheinnet
Several chains of light bulbs hang down together from the exhibition room ceiling. Activated by a person pedalling on an exercise bike, the light chains are pulled slowly upwards, creating a pavilion that visitors may briefly enter before it sinks down again.
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source:yellowtracecomau
Jeppe Hein is a Danish artist based in Berlin and Copenhagen. His work sits “at the junction where art, architecture, and technical inventions intersect.” It’s playful, interactive and experimental, and only when the audience is present do Hein’s sculptures truly come to life. Seriously, boxes vibrate and clatter when approached, walls of water appear and his various mirror works only do their thing when people move around them. This engagement between audience and art is key to Hein’s work. While they’re simple in form, initially uncomplicated, each work is laden with ideas. Having pieces that literally come alive when approached creates a relationship between art and viewer that can’t be ignored, reminding the audience of their “vital part in activating art’s communicative potential” and at the same time, expanding our “notion of what art is or could be.”

“For me,” Hein says, “the concept of sculpture is closely linked with communication… By challenging the physical attention of the viewer, an active dialogue between artwork, surrounding and other visitors is established that lends the sculpture a social quality” – a view that links his work to conceptual art of the 70s rather than traditional sculpture. They’re definitely no statues to simply gaze at from afar.

While inspired by concept, Hein’s sculptures are extremely playful – they’re not about intimidating the audience, but rather to involve them. His sculptures often have an element of surprise or humour, and are rarely static, so it’s hard not to be captivated and quickly feel a part of the work. With this clever interactive element, Hein’s sculptures seem to succeed, drawing us in, bending perception and creating engagement between art and audience.
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source:jaquealartecom
Una persona pedaleando en una bicicleta estática activa el desarrollo de una lámpara con forma de carpa de circo. Miramos a través de la mirilla de una pared y encontramos reflejado nuestro propio ojo. Son algunas de las cosas que pueden apreciarse en la exhibición A Smile for You (Una sonrisa para ti) del artista danés Jeppe Hein. Y no es casual ya que forma parte de un proyecto puesto en marcha por Jeppe Hein, la Bonniers Konsthall de Estocolomo-donde actualmente se exhibe- y la Fundación Wanås Art en el que se invita al público a responder a cuestiones tales como qué es la felicidad y cómo huele, cómo sabe y te hace sentir. Una selección de las mejores contestaciones se presentará en futuras exposiciones de los centros mencionados y formará parte de una publicación de König Verlag.

Las instalaciones y esculturas del artista danés Jeppe Hein nos proponen juegos sensoriales e invitan al espectador a tomar frente a ellos una actitud activa que vaya más allá de la contemplación y que nos permita descubrir que, tras piezas tan familiares como un espejo, podemos encontrar (cual fiel reflejo de la vida misma) lo más inesperado. La producción de Hein se basa en un enfoque anti-jerárquico y humilde de los objetos y en una mirada abierta y desacralizada de la historia del arte occidental y oriental.