Reemrenreh (kaum Gesang) / Leben / Reemrenreh (hardly any singing) / Life

Standing in the water near a pier, this surreal-looking sculpture is situated between a lock and the marina. It consists of three parts: a dominating yellow tower, which looks like a stack of cylindrical blocks with holes in them; a somewhat inconspicuous metal colored tower made of similar elements; and a streetlamp, which would seem commonplace in comparison, were it not for its height and location in the middle of the water. This streetlamp illuminates the sculpture at night. The work was created for the exhibition Emscherkunst.2010, when it was also accompanied by composer Bülent Kullukcu’s sound artwork Leben / Life.

The sculpture can also make its own sort of music: wind passes through the openings in the hollow structure and produces tones of varying pitch and intensity. Despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that it looks fragile and ready to collapse, while also being exposed to the wind and water, the sculpture is a unique and extremely individual installation. This makes it an unmistakable landmark.

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. 34–35.