Skip to main content

Installation

THe GoOD, THe BaD aND ThE uGLy

Atelier Van Lieshout

Heike Kandalowski

“Can we still separate man and machine?”

At the 2016 edition of the Ruhrtriennale, Atelier Van Lieshout will again be presenting its installation, an art village of houses and sculptures in front of Bochum´s Jahrhunderthalle. The theme of this years installation, much in keeping with the Ruhrgebiet´s history, is “man and machine”. This theme, however, not only reflects the past but also presents us with a mirror of humankinds’ present condition. One the one hand, we are overcome by a strong urge to go back to nature, yet at the same time we are more and more dependent on technology. Due to the emergence of new media, smartphones, biological engineering and robotics, humans appear to become one with machines and machines become more and more human.

On display will be a series of new large-scale artworks, including the “Steam Hammer-House”. The “Steam Hammer-House” is a monument for the industries of days gone by, a massive, tactile, almost humanized sculpture. It serves as a dwelling, extended with a toilet and kitchen, housing the peoples of a new tribe in a post-industrial world. By appropriating its’ bowels, humans will literally become one with the machine.

As second new artwork, the “House of the Talking Heads”, raises questions about the nature of machines, and their increasing humanisation. Inside the “House of the Talking Heads”, two large automatons will be deeply engaged in conversation.

The third work on display, “Oracle”, is an interactive installation, a giant wire-steel head equipped with a mechanism that enables it to talk and move its jaws, goggle his eyes and revolve around its axis. It is set in motion by text messages sent by the public, who are actively sought to engage with the sculpture by sending texts messages.

In addition to these new works, last years’ public favorites like the “Sanitary Silos”, the “Domestikator” and the trailer “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” will also be on display. The “Refektorium” will again be the lively center of the festival, the heart of the Ruhrtriennale, and will host a series of events, concerts, screenings and talks, including the yearly RWE symposium.

Tickets