Doppelachse / Double Axis

Heinz Günter Prager, who lives in Cologne and teaches in Braunschweig, is an advocate for ground sculptures. Placed directly on the ground without a plinth or pedestal, his sculptures create no distance to the viewer who can directly relate to them. This also applies to “Doppelachse,” a two-part sculpture, each consisting of two discs connected to each other via an axis. While the axis is fixed to the centre of one disc like a wheel, it ends at the rim of the other disc. This suggests a rolling movement which, however, cannot take place. The fact that the two parts of the sculpture were placed on opposite sides of a street reinforces the association of movement: the viewer’s position and the space between the elements are incorporated into the overall effect.
However, the intended proximity to the public also lead to the sculptures being used as skater ramps or covered with stickers and graffiti, which made it necessary to restore them in 2020. Now the “cufflinks,” as they were affectionately named, are back at their original location on Friesenplatz. They are a gift of the Weingarten company to the city of Cologne.