Isa Melsheimer Frei Otto / westliches Haus, 2012
Fibrous grit, concrete, vases
Kunststoff-Faserarmierter Beton, Vasen
Kunststoff-Faserarmierter Beton, Vasen
75 x 60 x 105 cm (29 1/2 x 23 5/8 x 41 3/8 in)
The work takes as point of departure the so-called Okö-Haus (Ecological house) by the pioneering German architect Frei Otto. Conceived as a basic structure which could be individualized by each owner, the building sought to partake in a communal spirit of shared creativity. Frei Otto was awarded the Pritzker Prize, perhaps the highest honor in architecture, posthumously in 2015.
Melsheimer takes the central framework conceived by Otto and inhabits it with a collection of vintage ceramic vases from the 1970s and 1980s. Sold under the name FAT Lava, the vases were ubiquitous at the time of the building’s design and come to stand for a generalized idea of aesthetics and its popular trends.
Melsheimer takes the central framework conceived by Otto and inhabits it with a collection of vintage ceramic vases from the 1970s and 1980s. Sold under the name FAT Lava, the vases were ubiquitous at the time of the building’s design and come to stand for a generalized idea of aesthetics and its popular trends.