Negativer Raum | Skulptur und Installation im 20./21. Jahrhundert

Summary

The video explores the evolution of sculpture from classical works focused on mass and gravity to modern concepts centered around space and transformation. It highlights the shift in the 20th century when artists began to view sculpture as a design of space itself, influenced by advancements like industrial transportation. The video discusses key artistic positions, such as Rafael Soto's 'Peene Trebel' and Kimchi and Chips' 'Segment Space,' illustrating how the relationship between sculpture and space evolved with the introduction of new materials and ideas like virtual space, light, shadow, and negative space.

Takeaways

• 😀 Classical sculptures were focused on physical mass, gravity, and volume, but modern sculptures started to view sculpture as a design of space.
• 😀 The 20th century marked a shift where sculpture was reimagined not just in terms of physical form, but as a way of creating and interacting with space.
• 😀 The industrial revolution, with new modes of transport like bicycles, trains, cars, and airplanes, drastically changed our experience of space, influencing the way artists approached sculpture.
• 😀 Artists began to think of sculpture not from the human body but from the perspective of space itself.
• 😀 Mathematical models using delicate threads, wire, and plaster in the 19th and 20th centuries influenced how artists understood and designed sculpture in relation to space.
• 😀 Key aspects of space in sculpture include negative space, hollow spaces, gaps, reflections, light and shadow, and even virtual data spaces.
• 😀 The concept of 'negative space' was explored through works like Rafael Soto's Peene Trebel, which involved a transparent structure inviting viewers to interact and become part of the art.
• 😀 In dynamic sculptures like 'Flugs' by Schill Wiener, magnet bands float and shift with air currents, creating a delicate balance between movement and physics.
• 😀 Kimchi and Chips' 'Segment Space' demonstrated how material and immaterial boundaries can be blurred, emphasizing the interplay of light and material.
• 😀 The development of 'negative sculpture' also involved utilizing non-traditional materials like air, light, water, and magnetic forces, emphasizing the idea of absence as an essential artistic medium.

Q & A

How did the role of sculpture in relation to space evolve in the 20th century?

In the 20th century, sculpture began to be understood as a design of space itself, unlike traditional sculptures that were centered on mass, gravity, and volume. The focus shifted towards openness, transparency, lightness, changeability, and virtuality as primary form-giving properties.

What role did the industrial revolution play in the transformation of sculpture?

The industrial revolution introduced new modes of transportation such as bicycles, trains, cars, and airplanes, allowing for unprecedented speeds and new spatial experiences. This shift led artists to rethink sculpture, no longer focusing solely on the human body but on the concept of space.

What was the significance of mathematical models in the development of modern sculpture?

Mathematical models, often crafted from fine threads, wire, or plaster, influenced artists by offering new forms and structures that expanded the possibilities of sculpture, particularly in terms of space and form.

What is the concept of 'negative space' in sculpture, and how is it explored in modern works?

Negative space refers to the voids or empty areas within sculptures that are integral to the form. Modern works explore this concept by focusing on hollows, gaps, and invisible elements like light, shadow, or virtual data spaces, where the 'negative' part of the sculpture is just as important as the material form.

How does Rafael Soto's 'Peene Trebel' installation exemplify modern sculpture?

Rafael Soto's 'Peene Trebel' installation is an example of a dynamic, permeable space structure made from fine plastic threads that invite the viewer to walk through and interact with the artwork. The sculpture's movement and interaction with the viewer make time an essential element of the experience.

What is the significance of Fujikura Kaya's 'cloud work' in the context of negative sculpture?

Fujikura Kaya's 'cloud work' uses mist to define the space, creating a constantly changing and fleeting sculpture. The work is an example of negative sculpture, where the material itself is ephemeral and elusive, disappearing as the mist dissipates.

How did Georges Vantongerloo approach the concept of volume and emptiness in his sculptures?

Georges Vantongerloo viewed the relationship between volume and emptiness as equally important in his sculptures. For him, the negative space, or emptiness, was as crucial to the artwork as the solid material itself, both of which contributed to the spatial experience.

What role do shadows play in the development of sculpture according to Man Ray?

Man Ray emphasized that shadows are just as important as the physical object in sculpture. He saw the shadow as the negative form of light, underscoring the importance of non-material elements in the creation of space and form in modern sculpture.

How did the concept of 'space' in sculpture change throughout the 20th and 21st centuries?

The concept of space in sculpture evolved from being a passive backdrop for the object to becoming an active component of the artwork. Artists began to focus on creating sculptures that shaped and interacted with the space around them, incorporating voids, shadows, and virtual elements into their designs.

What does the exhibition 'Negative Space' aim to show about the history of modern and contemporary sculpture?

The 'Negative Space' exhibition explores how 20th and 21st-century sculpture differs from earlier traditions, emphasizing the role of space, voids, and non-material elements in shaping the experience of sculpture. It highlights how modern sculptures focus on the relationship between the object and the surrounding space.