The term “common ground” claims something shared: relationships between people and things. This installation intends to awaken an appropriate sense within the soul of the visitor.
From Märkli Architekt:
A floor and four walls delimit a room. A roof protects it. Two columns within the space carry it. In addition, there are five standing figures – sculptures by the artist Hans Josephsohn. Also shown is a standing figure by Alberto Giacometti. Together, these reveal elements of the last 2,500 years of history, including ancient Greek and Egyptian culture.
An orderly principle puts the architectural elements and the sculptures into a context. The created spatial tension of the installation is a reflection and expression of human dignity and sensuality. The cooperation of architecture and sculpture tries to capture and visualize a basic and fundamental aspect of “common ground”.
Apart from all the rituals, ideas of life, or religions, at the center of all cultures lies the question of human existence. And, to communicate with others and express his ideas of life, man has created languages, which are, for them to be understandable, based upon conventions. Many of these languages are old. Due to certain incidents in our recent history, we have lost essential linguistic abilities, says Märkli, and to express our position towards life and its sensuous richness we have to regain these abilities. And we have to recapture a position towards the question of our existence, being separate as individuals or part of a larger community.
