An installation realised in collaboration with the Department of Graphics, Form and Design at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Architecture
Created by Dutch art collective Collectief Walden in 2016, Windstilleven (Windstillife) is about our concept of time: how does time affect an individual human or specific natural environments? How does time change nature itself, and through it, ourselves? How can we retain or let go of something – for better or for worse? These questions also lead us to the problem of our responsibility toward our natural environment, regardless of whether we accept or deny it. The performance is therefore site and context specific, with the artists of Collectief Walden collaborating with local partners, conducting long-term research and artistic projects, and while doing so, adapting the performance to the venue and its general context.
Due to the pandemic situation we sadly had to postpone the original open air performance until 2021. We will however exhibit the Dutch collective’s central visual artwork meant for the production during Placcc 2020. The large mechanical construct can fit multiple people, and in the future will function as a kind of camera obscura. It was designed by students from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) under the leadership of LASSU Péter assistant professor, and was finally built with members of the Dutch group at a workshop held during the summer of 2020.
The workshop was conceived in 2019. Its main goals were for the students to conceptionally rethink the object at the center of Collectief Walden’s performance, while adapting it to meet local challenges such as shipping, logistics and so on. Working with such materials is a basic skill taught during coursework at BME, just like building and realizing such designs to meet real life needs.
During the 2020 spring semester students worked on designs in groups of two and three, and the members of the Dutch company chose which one was the best fit for their performance and concept. This is how the final work titled “rockflower” was born, with the final installation being comprised of panels which can be opened horizontally, folded and fixed into various positions.
Besides the installation we will also exhibit the other designs created during the semester which were not be realized.
Time: 29 September – 1 October 2020
Venue: ELTE Trefort campus (1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4/A)
The installation was designed by NYÍRI Csongor, NIEDERKIRCHNER Gitta, LÁDI Krisztina Zoé, MORÓ Júlia, TAKÁCS Laura Panna
Participating students working on the installation as a part of their coursework: SÜTTŐ Rita, BENESÓCZKY Zsófia, SOLYMOSI Zsófia
Instructor: LASSU Péter
Special Thanks to PALKÓ Ferenc and CZEGLÉDI Lajos
Concept: Collectief Walden (René VAN BAKEL, Jente HOOGEVEEN, Thomas LAMERS, Naomi RUSSELL, Thijs VAN VUURE)
Project coordination: MAGASI Dalma
Further info about the original performance: https://www.waldencollective.org/copy-of-windstilleven
Special thanks for providing the venue: ELTE BTK
Supporters: Fonds Podiumkunsten, Summa Artium, Creative Europe, In Situ, NKA, Oerol Festival, JafHolz, Remmers, IronTrade