Deux segments de droite, I´un horizontal l´autre vertical

Francois Morellet’s sculpture has been located at the Bochum Finanzamt Süd since 2012 and consists of two identical hollow steel parts. Painted in signal red, the two segments have a square cross section and are 5 meters long and 30 cm wide on each side. One segment was installed vertically along the building facade at a height of five meters; the other is positioned horizontally on the grass, parallel to the building and five meters away from the sidewalk.
Because of the vivid color and exact geometric orientation, the sculpture contrasts its surroundings, while simultaneously maintaining a close connection to them. The distance between the two objects is being accentuated and bridged at the same time. Moreover, the sculpture derives its effect from the movement of the observer, changing based on distance and location: while walking past it, the vertical element moves along the horizontal element with the viewer.
This sculpture, which is impossible to imagine without its carefully selected positioning, was realized in 1979/80 as part of the 1st Bochumer Bildhauersymposium for a location at the Arnoldschule at Springerplatz, where it remained until 2011. In close cooperation with the artist, it was moved in 2012 to a new location on the west facade of the Finanzamt Süd.

Additional information: www.artibeau.de/1210.htm