\\ We are happy to announce that the city council of Sittard-Born-Geleen has granted Eleni Kamma and Breg Horemans the competition for three urban sculptures. The structures embody the idea of a ‘double trinity’ and will be built in 2015, covering a budget of €150.000. On every chosen position, which were largely selected by the city council and specified by Kamma and myself, we install three steel columns, carrying a rope that equals the distance between the different but connected entities. The colored glow-in-the-dark rope will be developed together with the respective communities.
An extended project description you can find here:
\\ Although Sittard, Geleen and Born are nearby in terms of distance, the identity of each entity is very strong. This brings up an idea of tension and balance between the specific strengths of each entity and lets us think about how these three entities developed their historical identities through their awareness of eachother’s existence and developments.
\\ Sittard-Geleen-Born is characterized by an innovative spirit; from 1913 to 1987 milk companies were based in Sittard, VDL Ned Car, one of the most advanced car manufacturers in Europe is located in Born. DSM, based in Geleen followed a series of transformations; from a coal mining company to fertilisers and chemicals and now to a Life Sciences and Material Sciences company.This flexible and constantly reinventing itself approach is the secret of survival and success of the area.
\\ For each of the three proposed locations, a rope consisting of a combination of textiles, solar collecting and light emitting materials and whose length equals the kilometric distance between Born, Sittard and Geleen, wraps and holds together three independent vertical steel poles, producing a new schema that embraces the idea of trinity and emphasizes the necessity of cooperation in order for the structure to stand. The idea of trinity, embedded within each structure, is reinforced through repetition and difference; for each location, a variation that follows the same principles, but adjusts to the specific size and dimensions of the surrounding spot, will be produced. Through different layers of reading, the future identity of Sittard- Geleen-Born is reflected in the combined choice of colors, forms and materials; partly covered by the rope and partly revealing the poles, the proposed structures suggest a transformation of perception via varied threads of density, transparency and rhytm. Due to a slight tilting of the poles, the structures transform as well, depending on the direction from which one is looking at them.
\\ Following color studies deriving from the surrounding natural, technological and cultural environment of Sittard, Geleen, Born, (the flags of each municipality, the landscape, industry etc) the color scale of the rope will vary for each location. The color variations for each sculpture will be the outcome of a participatory process, based on the local voices of the area. More specifically, we intend to collaborate with schools and children-inhabitants of each location. Based on their choices we will weave together a color vision synthesis regarding the identity of Sittard-Geleen-Born.
\\ The individual elements (rope and poles) will be held together in a way that respects the material. At the same time, the proposed work places emphasis on innovation and experimentation, through investigation in lightemitting textile technology, in order to develop a rope consisting of different percentages of color and luminosity. The rope wil function as a sculptural element and light collector during the day, transforming the structure into a light sculpture during the night.
\\ Concept: Eleni Kamma and Breg Horemans