Henke's starting material is the site as she encounters it; she heightens it and stages it in a perceivable way
Henke's starting material is the site as she encounters it; she heightens it and stages it in a perceivable way
The artist tosses sand in our eyes: this interaction of disparate materials, qualities, and associated experiences is both disrupting and disquieting
The artist tosses sand in our eyes: this interaction of disparate materials, qualities, and associated experiences is both disrupting and disquieting
In the work specially created for the SCHRIN Rotunda entitled SCHREI MICH NICHT AN, KRIEGER! (DON’T SHOUT AT ME, WARRIOR!) the sculptor Lena Henke reacts to the specific conditions of this freely accessible public space. In her installation Henke concentrates on this ambivalent capacity of the space of the Rotunda, thereby creating an awareness of the unique character of the location.
In the two opposing entrances to the Rotunda, the artist positions two aluminium sculptures that are open at the top and filled with sand. Henke guides the viewer’s gaze through a system of colors, which accentuates the architecture upwards to the open windows of the circular galleries surrounding the Rotunda. There sand is also placed and trickles outwards and into the sculptures through coarse-meshed metal rolling grills. The visitors can stroll round the galleries and walk through the sand, hence influencing the circulation as well. At the same time, from up there the form of the objects in the Rotunda becomes visible: they are two oversized eyes. The association of sand in the eye—an unpleasant feeling involving discomfort and pain—suggests itself.
TIP. Lena Henke’s piece relies on a change of perspective (from below, from above, from the side) to cerate an ever new, surprising interplay of different shapes, colors, materials, lighting situations and reflections
The artist LENA HENKE already exhibited in the SCHIRN Rotunda in 2017. What are the secrets of her practice and where can you find her art today?
With the M/L Artspace project Marie Karlberg and Lena Henke develop temporary happenings and challenge the customary format of the exhibition.
Until July 30, artist Lena Henke is presenting an installation in the SCHIRN Rotunda. We asked her about her links with Frankfurt, her life in New...
The sculptor Lena Henke transforms the SCHIRN rotunda into a changing spatial sculpture in which interior and exterior merge.
A sculpture design by Lena Henke is one of the nominations for the latest artistic installation to adorn New York’s High Line.
