An artist‘s view on the Internet of Things.
In her latest installation “SpAcE DyNaMiCs” including 17 of her own artworks Christa Winter plays with the idea of networks and connections. The installation can be seen at the private collection Froehlich in Leinfelden-Echterdingen near Stuttgart. It has now been prolonged for the third time until February 13, 2018.
„Julia!“…. Christa Winter is calling from upstairs, when I enter Sammlung Froehlich. I see her standing with a group of people. Winter is a network person. Wherever she is, Christa connects the dots. Of course, her new installation–a friendly takeover of the current exhibition at Sammlung Froehlich–connects the dots as well: The dots of different artworks from different contemporary artists and art movements. But it is more than that…
Froehlich is a manufacturer of testing systems for the automotive industry: The company „plans, designs, manufactures, and installs tailor-made machines and equipment for proofing and assembling of parts for the automotive and mass production industry“, as one can read on the website. But J. W. Froehlich is also known as an internationally renowned private collector with one of Germany’s most impressive collections of contemporary art. His collection includes works of Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer and many other famous artists.
SpAcE DyNaMiCs
Christa Winter’s temporary installation “SpAcE DyNaMiCs“ deals with the question of how to build relationships among these different artworks. Winter has been given carte blanche from the art patron Froehlich… Not only did she integrate 17 of her own exciting artworks–paintings and sculptures–in the existing exhibition. Starting with the wall sculpture by the American painter Frank Stella, a pioneer in abstract striped paintings (“Lo sciocco senza paura”, 1987), Winter uses neon colored tape in bright shining colors to connect all artworks in the exhibition.
Resonating with the colors of Stella’s sculpture, the stripes connect the sculpture of John Chamberlain on the ground floor, with the “Medicine Cabinets” of the British contemporary artist Damien Hirst on the second floor, or the red shapes from Imi Knoebel on the third floor... Everything is connected.
Christa Winter’s installation at Sammlung Froehlich. Photo: Conny J. Winter
Winter carefully pays attention to the interfaces. What happens when the neon tape meets the edge of an artwork? How can the individual piece of art with its individual character communicate with the others? Winter analyzes each single work and carefully embeds it into the overall installation. When you step into the installation, you automatically touch the neon stripes on the floor and suddenly you are part of an ongoing process of interactions and dialogues.
Maybe I am biased by my industrial background. But when I enter the building of a company that I know from machinery and manufacturing, I see an installation on networks, communication and connectivity. From an industrial point of view, this is an excellent dialogue of an artist with what is going on in the Internet of Things in manufacturing. Things that have not been connected before now interact and communicate with each other. Just as the independent pieces of art that have been connected by Winter, single machines have to connect and collaborate in order to offer machine-to-machine communication and smooth manufacturing processes for batch size one.
Christa Winter’s installation at Sammlung Froehlich. Photo: Conny J. Winter
An inspiring view on what we have to achieve in companies
To develop intelligent solutions for manufacturing processes, industrial firms increasingly focus on how to connect disciplines (e.g. hardware, software, service development) and people coming from different divisions and functions. Silos and internal barriers break and people start working in cross-disciplinary networks, partnerships and ecosystems….
Christa Winter’s installation at Sammlung Froehlich. Photo: Conny J. Winter
„Suddenly it is a group of people that belong together for a period of time. They have become a part of one installation with one shared experience.“ (Christa Winter)
Winter does not only connect the paintings and sculptures, but also the entire building (with tape in every corner, even in the restrooms you find neon stripes…). She produces relations between the concrete pieces of art and the architecture of the building, the light outside and the reflections in the windows. Finally she connects the visitors: I entered the exhibition on my own. Two hours later, when we say goodbye, we all know each other. Think I got connected….
About
SAMMLUNG FROEHLICH in Leinfelden-Echterdingen near Stuttgart can be visited by appointment. You can contact info@sammlung-froehlich.de. Sammlung Froehlich organizes arttalks with different guests. More information at: http://www.sammlung-froehlich.de/index-e.html
Christa Winter’s installation at Sammlung Froehlich. Photo: Conny J. Winter
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