Those who take part in this project become master builders, designers, artists and craftsmen themselves. For one week, the Landsberg cultural association “dieKunstBauStelle e.V.” is working on its ARCHITECTUS LUCIS project with Landsberg residents aged between eight and 99 as well as international helpers and speakers under the motto “We follow the work of Dominikus Zimmermann” to create objects, costumes and rooms from cardboard boxes in the old IKG gymnasium and experience the light art of the famous architect for themselves. Next Saturday, October 22nd, the big project closing event will take place from 3:00 pm.
Creative process
The whole week was dedicated to creation and creativity. “At the beginning, nobody really knew what the end result would be,” says Wolfgang Hauck, project initiator and chairman of “dieKunstBauStelle e.V.”. It was a creative process, thoughts were taken up, new ideas emerged, we were open to everything,” emphasizes Hauck.
Around 140 participants, including pupils from the secondary school, the IKG and the Montessori and Waldorf schools, have already contributed to the project. “In the afternoon and evening, there was a lot of support from refugees, artists and architects or simply people from Landsberg who just dropped by,” says Hauck.
Bringing light spaces to life
Ideas were first collected together. “The art of architecture is to create a space and bring it to life and make it accessible for living,” explains Hauck. “That’s initially what we did with the cardboard boxes – created spaces. the art begins where you deal with the available light of day and don’t just use electric light. That’s why openings and artistic cut-outs are worked into the cardboard rooms. This creates the light spaces. You have to imagine this principle in large dimensions – we have produced large” light space cubes “that can be moved around and combined.”
These large boxes, for example, were created with pupils from year 12 at the IKG, who are currently focusing on architecture in their art lessons. They were on site every morning for four days and were able to work intensively on the topic – the results are really impressive.
“It’s a great project,” says 17-year-old Jana, a pupil at the IKG. “I really like building something together with other people. What’s exciting about it is that, for me, cardboard boxes used to be just cardboard boxes. I would never have thought what you could build out of them, especially in this size.”
Other, mainly younger, schoolchildren also explored the topic of light design, albeit in a slightly different form. They covered windows with transparent paper or built cardboard figures in baroque poses based on the outlines of their own bodies. And finally, there are moving sculptures, modern angels and “flying boxes” – all of these elements are ultimately brought to life in the light room.
Like school – only ten times better
Eleven-year-old Matthias, a pupil at Landsberg secondary school, is delighted: “It’s like school, only ten times better.” His teacher Aslihan Özcan is also delighted: “It’s great that the pupils can be creative and express themselves. When they see the result on Saturday, they will feel even happier – because they were allowed to be part of this major project.”
“Our project is deliberately not a reconstruction of Dominikus Zimmermann’s life and work,” says Hauck. “We are not recreating, but following his work. And are trying to engage with his spirit, to internalize and trace his inspired artistic work.”
“Whether artist, architect, craftsman, student or pensioner: everyone is there and has the opportunity to empathize,” explains Hauck. It is very interesting to see: How does the architect work, how does the artist work? It is very important that the space and design interlock, otherwise it won’t work. The pure artist who paints a picture is free from these guidelines and can simply paint away. Here, on the other hand, there is a direct dialog with the world.
Big final event: watch, join in – and destroy
Everyone is working together towards the one big day – the final event on Saturday, where all the works will be presented in various forms.
This will begin from 15:00 to 16:00 with a parade of moving sculptures through Landsberg’s town center. From 16:00, the cardboard exhibition, party or performance – whatever you want to call this mixture – will be open in the old gymnasium of the IKG. Not only can and should you touch everything, but you can also open light windows, views and insights with the cutters or rearrange over one meter fifty large building blocks. The event will be opened with introductory words by Landsberg’s third mayor Axel Flörke (town of Landsberg) and district councillor Ulla Kurz (district). International guests will also be present.
Things finally get exciting at 10 p.m. – the gymnasium is locked and children are only allowed to attend if accompanied by their parents or guardians. Everything that has been created is destroyed again in a large, expressionist action. “That’s part of the concept and part of the event,” says Stegink. “All that remains are photos, videos and fond memories. This is about the baroque theme of becoming and passing away, nothing lasts forever.”
ARCHITECTUS LUCIS is funded by the Kulturfonds Bayern, the European Bavarian State Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, the town of Landsberg am Lech, the district of Landsberg and the district of Upper Bavaria. The cardboard is provided by the company Redl GmbH and the scaffolding by the company Ratzka.
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