Calvin Kaussen
Grenzerfahrung. RWTH Aachen (Germany)
On the base of a square with an edge length of 63 meters, rusty reinforced steel bars form a labyrinth that sends the visitor on a journey of auditory, visual and haptic sensory impressions. Dedicated to the events before and during the Second World War, GRENZERFAHRUNG introduces the topic of the West Wall, its complex context and its relics, on an emotional level.
The installation deliberately disturbs the idyll of the rural areas, where most of the preserved bunkers, tank traps and ditches are located, with the roar of thousands of metal reinforcements and metal sheets hitting one another.
Under the ominous noise of the cracking steel, the visitor moves through an organically shaped structure. The increasingly dense arrangement forces groups to split up, as the height of the moving steel rods increases. Isolated from his previously known environment, the visitor experiences vibrating floors, heaving poles, flying metal and narrow corridors. Clearings in the tangle of poles challenge different encounter situations.
The intensity of the generated stimuli and the associated sensory impressions are determined not only by the daily natural conditions but also by the number and behavior of the passers-by themselves. GRENZERFAHRUNG allows the individual visitor to merge with the experience of others. Through the use of dynamic components, every stay is a unique experience.
The traveling exhibition
The conception of the installation as a traveling exhibition makes reference to the enormous dimensions of the West Wall and its various levels of meaning; at the same time, it creates maximum reach and publicity by placing it at important locations along the line from Basel to Kleve.
The installation can be the initial spark, a solitaire or a supplementary element of local offers and initiatives. It is also part of the national WESTWALLROUTE and the WESTWALL DOKUMENTATIONSLANDSCHAFT.
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