Brunnenskulptur / Fountain Sculpture

Albert Hien’s sculpture was erected in 2000 as part of the Postplatz redesign. It is made up of a vertical stainless steel funnel and a double cone construction lying lengthwise on the ground beside it. The funnel collects water and directs it to the cone element through a pipe. The water sets a rotating mechanism in motion, which turns the drum like a washing machine and agitates the Euro coin blanks found inside.
In this way, the artist joined together three elements that are characteristic of the town of Schwerte: water, industry – as represented by the use of industrial materials, and the Euro blanks, which were produced in Schwerte. This work juxtaposes the historic notion of a fountain with a completely new formal language. Nonetheless, it makes a playful reference: while coins are traditionally thrown into some fountains, such as the Trevi Fountain in Rome, here they are already an existing part of the original concept.
The reception of this work is also noteworthy, as it did not meet the expectations of some residents. Because of the noise created by “washing” the money, the rotating mechanism has since been turned off.