balance 6
In the middle of the small garden, between the Van Reekum Museum and the theater, stands an old tree that only begins to form branches once it is above the buildings. Because of this the tree's movements, are never, or hardly ever visible from the museum. The starting-point for my installation in the garden is the idea that I would literally adopt the movements of the upper part of the tree at ground level.
Construction:
I have stretched two triangles (made of 2mm steel cable) in the space which intersect in the middle at an angle of 90 degrees and have both apexes anchored at one point high level in the tree. The bases of the triangles lie approximately 1.50m above the ground.
The cable runs through pulleys at the four base corners which are attached to the buildings. The intersection of the base lines is next to the trunk of the tree itself and is replaces by a leather-band.
Performance:
I take my place in the band and put the cables under just enough tension so that they make straight lines and the band fits tightly around my chest. If I allow myself to be as motionless as possible then I can feel every moment of the top of the tree. The movements are so minimal (about 3 cm in a strong wind) that the public can only perceive this by using considerable concentration. Allowing for short breaks I stay in position for several hours.
year | 1985 |
date | 22/6 and 17/8/'85 |
location | Van Reekum Museum Amersfoort NL |
photography | Martin Smit |