Isa Melsheimer 0-House II, 2012
Reinforced concrete, polystyrene
Armierter Beton, Styropor
Armierter Beton, Styropor
35 x 57 x 36 cm (13 3/4 x 22 1/2 x 14 1/8 in)
The starting point for the small group of concrete works entitled "0-Houses" is the diary-like novel, "The Box Man", written by Japanese author Kobo Abe in 1973, whose protagonist bids farewell to his present life to move into a box, into a mini-universe 50 x 50 cm in size, which gradually mutates into the real universe in which the box man can take up a position of observation, unnoticed and uninhibited. He draws up a new, private cartography of the city and makes classifications based on opportunities and probabilities. This life in the city of the nameless may be limited, but it is also liberating.
Isa Melsheimer visualizes and processes various fragments of this story and presents - cast in concrete - possessions and dwelling of the box man.
With her installations, sculptures and drawings, Isa Melsheimer makes reference to the constructed environment, architecture and social relationships. In her works she uses material such as concrete, glass or cloth, processed in many different forms. She focuses here in particular on such intermediate spaces of architecture which during construction remain undefined as left-over spaces or which as hidden infrastructure usually remains invisible and inaccessible.
Isa Melsheimer visualizes and processes various fragments of this story and presents - cast in concrete - possessions and dwelling of the box man.
With her installations, sculptures and drawings, Isa Melsheimer makes reference to the constructed environment, architecture and social relationships. In her works she uses material such as concrete, glass or cloth, processed in many different forms. She focuses here in particular on such intermediate spaces of architecture which during construction remain undefined as left-over spaces or which as hidden infrastructure usually remains invisible and inaccessible.
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