Until the End of the Circle
2022, Feb–
– Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover
Until the End of the Circle
2022, Feb–
– Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover
Light installation
neon, control switch, steel
A circular sequence of words in neon capital letters is installed on the facade of the Kestner Gesellschaft, centrally positioned above the entrance. Individual words light up at regular intervals in red and blue. Words in opposite positions are illuminated simultaneously and at short intervals in a clockwise direction. The glowing lights continue in constant circulation, with no perceptible beginning or end. The words are a continually repeating dedication:
DEDICATED TO IDEAS NOT (YET) REALISED
DEDICATED TO DREAMS NOT (YET) COME TRUE
If the circle is read in sequence, “realised” belongs to “ideas” and “come true” belongs to “dreams.” The dedication refers to the future of the not yet true, of what has thus far only been dreamed and thought, of what has not yet materialized, but which already seems to have value. At the same time, it points to the past, to unrealized ideas and dreams, those that have failed or were futile, some of which continue to have an impact today. The form and placement of the work on the building recall a large clock, but instead of the time it shows the timelessness of dreaming and imagining, of utopias and visions.
A dedication to dreams and ideas points to the origin of every scientific or political theory, every attempt, every beginning: curiosity, creativity, the pursuit of something that does not yet exist, but can already be conceived and wished for. This utopian element is present in individual life dreams and personal visions, but it is always also the engine of social development and thus political. It crosses the boundary between the individual and society.
However, the dedication also applies to those dreams and ideas that have not come true, have not been realized, historical and possibly also individual failure. The word (YET) diminishes the tragic aspect, and instead opens up a space of possibility while also creating a link to the institution’s history and mission. Any artistic creation, any drive in general, would come to an end without the cycle of unfulfilled dreams and still unrealized ideas.
A dedication means devotion. Every artistic and curatorial decision carries the risk of not succeeding, not being legible, not being well received. But without this devotion, art could not exist and could not enter into a dialogue. NOT (YET) may or may not come true. When it is realized, the idea ultimately takes on a life of its own, and when it comes true, the dream becomes a fact. Both develop consequences and become history in their turn. The work also poses a question: Is the time ripe for the realization of ideas and dreams? At the same time, a continual return is at hand, a never-ending story, the timelessness of possibilities that we must realize or preserve.
Henrike Böhm
Photos: Raimund Zaikowski (3), FAMED