Untitled

After the city of Bochum acquired Richard Serra’s Terminal in 1977, public sculpture became the subject of much controversial debate in the following years. Consequently, a sculpture symposium was planned in 1978 with the aim of “awakening a public understanding of the issues surrounding modern art.”
The sculptures were to be made of steel, but the artists were free to choose the locations themselves. Companies in Bochum supported the realization of the works. An international jury selected nine artists from Europe and the city of Bochum acquired their works, which led to intensive discussions.
Abraham David Christian’s sculpture is among the works included in the symposium. Christian studied with Joseph Beuys at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and primarily created reduced works out of degradable materials like soil and paper. However, this work is made up of two L-shaped steel masses that are arranged to symmetrically mirror each other, creating a combined T-shape with a gap remaining between them.
Despite their simple forms, the two elements are slightly irregular rather than strictly geometric. Furthermore, they are not quite in line with the road, but instead oriented at a slight diagonal. The steel’s surface and patina exhibit varying shades and colors, contributing to the sculpture’s effect and the changing play of light and shadow.

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. 28-29.