German Federal Parlament 2015

Organon

Foyer in the German Bundestag office building
Wilhelmstraße 64, Berlin (2nd Prize)

Screed terrazzo
approx. 140 sq m

My proposal was an expansive drawing in black and white terrazzo on the floor of the entrance area and foyer.
The starting point of the drawing is a multitude of circles that appear to spread concentrically like water or sound waves, with each subsequent line creating tension with the one before it. I built the drawing up by hand on these centers, creating an organic structure that overlaps like an interference pattern. The result is an illusionistic drawing that seems to visually break down the rigid boundaries of the space and also has a physical effect, as the work disrupts and alters the usual parameters of spatial perception.
The decisive factors for the experience of my work are the space and the viewer's movement within it. Space and movement as a condition for physical experience are of fundamental importance to me.

The concentric circles—one of the oldest ornaments known to humankind—are all unique and intersect with each other at different radii.

Transferred from a hand-drawn design onto a high-quality material, this space, where people create order for our coexistence, embodies various associative aspects of humanity and its relationships to one another.

The association with water droplets is equally apt, for water is the epitome of life. Each "droplet" has its own effect, and with their overlapping (interpenetrating) elements, the waves form a large, vibrant whole. The wave, the spatially expanding vibration, transports energy, but not matter.

The title of the work, "órganon," comes from the Greek word for "tool." The word "organization" is derived from this. It means to systematically arrange, design, build, and assemble into a viable whole. An organization can be a social structure that arises from the planned and goal-oriented interaction of people, distinguishes itself from its environment, and can interact and exchange information with other actors.

In biology, organizations are known in the form of "community formation," "team formation" (e.g., a troop), or "state formation" (e.g., an ant colony). An organization is a structure of interdependent actions and coordinations that are purposefully linked.

All of this seems to me to be apt metaphors for the tasks of the German Bundestag.

Heike Weber 2015