Der Ball / The Ball

Rolf Glasmeier’s The Ball was already installed on Emscherinsel in 1985 – long before the island became a popular art location with Emscherkunst.2010 as part of the Capital of Culture program. The sculpture is made out of a spherical gas tank, like those commonly used at the refineries in Gelsenkirchen. Flammable butane or propane gas is stored inside and compressed at a pressure of up to 15 bar. The signs that are posted and the fence surrounding the tank indicate the extent of the resulting potential dangers.
In contrast to the functional industrial tank and evident safety hazards, Rolf Glasmeier has employed a playful color scheme that completely changes the sculpture in terms of form and content. Painted light blue with joyful yellow polka dots and supported by a red framework, the sphere now looks like a colorful plastic ball that would be used for play. With this work, the tension arises from the interplay between the actual function and external appearance, as well as the content and packaging.

Further reading:
Public Art Ruhr. Die Metropole Ruhr und die Kunst im öffentlichen Raum. Eds. Walter Smerling and Ferdinand Ulrich on behalf of the RuhrKunstMuseen, Cologne 2012, ISBN 978-3-8632-134-0, pp. 56-57.