Untitled (Hole), 2007, bronze, ca. 200 x 200 x 200 cm

 

The work “Untitled (Hole)” consists of the molding of a pit in the ground measuring approximately two meters in length and two meters in depth and the earth excavated from it. In the Sadie Coles gallery (exhibition “Uh ...”, London, 2007) a piece of the floor was removed and the aluminum casting of the pit hung into it. The work penetrates two stories. On the upper story, one can approach the abyss and look into the depth of the hole, on the lower story, the surface of the earth is depicted as an inversion in the negative.  

“Untitled (Hole)” was molded in cooperation with our partner foundry in Shanghai. Due to the low ground-water table there, a hill of soil first had to be created with the appropriate dimensions, and in which it was possible to excavate the hole. 

From the pit and the excavated soil that resulted, a plaster negative was produced in segments. In days of work, soil and stones were removed from the negative. In order to be able to depict the pit from both sides, a double-walled casting was necessary. In order to create an elastic positive of the inner wall that allowed the indentations of the stony surface of the soil to be depicted in a sand mold, the plaster negative was coated with a silicon skin. The exterior wall was created in silicon over an additional negative of the plaster impression. The exterior wall was slightly enlarged, the inner and outer sides of the pit attached to one another, and the entire work then given a black patina.