Alexandra Bircken: PS (Horsepower)

Precisely in its harmlessness lies its subversive power …

Monika Bayer-Wermuth (MBW)

I’ve walked past your sculpture on Oskar-von-Miller-Ring several times now and have examined it in detail. The rocking horse and the hobby horse are familiar motifs in your work, but – among other aspects – the scale here is entirely new. How large is “PS (Horsepower)“?

Alexandra Bircken (AB)

The sculpture is 9 meters long, 4 meters high, and 1.60 meters wide. But then again, it’s a rather big space for little horses… (she laughs)

MBW

How did the work come about?

AB

The analogy between a horse and a motorcycle has been recognized for quite some time, not least by Paul Virilio, who identified the mother as man’s first mode of transportation, closely followed by the horse, upon whose back the happiness of the earth is said to lie. This connection between modes of mobility and happiness is a kind of cultural obsession; at the same time it prompts enormous questions. This is particularly evident in a location like this, where the horse is now positioned. Virilio’s idea of the “racing standstill” is a paradox that defines our era.[1] So, you take a saw and first cut the problem in two, or, rather, you break it down into subproblems. Then the question becomes how to address a place like Munich, a city dedicated to mobility – with its BMW cylinders and various other monuments to progress (another contradiction)? The result is a monstrous, internally fractured miniaturization – a toy horse, black and white, positioned across the tunnel’s exit.

MBW

The piece monumentalizes and simultaneously deconstructs a toy, an object of play: the rocking horse. What significance does this toy have for you? Is it a return or reference to childhood or, rather, a commentary on our cultural conditioning?

AB

In light of what we’ve already discussed, I would say it’s more about cultural conditioning, although “conditioning” sounds positive in the face of what culture actually imposes on society. Naturally, this conditioning starts in childhood; it is often already gendered, hierarchical, and even perceived as violent. This also applies to public space, which is certainly formative. The horse is initially presented or seen as a harmless means of transport, and as such – “Oh, how sweet!” – it has a chance of landing or occupying in such a prominent spot. But precisely in its harmlessness lies a subversive power. It connects cultural conditioning and its questionable results with the apparent innocence of childhood play and the realization: “Oh, something broke.”

MBW

The sculpture can be interpreted as a critical commentary on automobiles and combustion engines. Do you understand or see the promise of progress reaching its endpoint?

AB

At the very least, doesn’t this appear to be the case? This idea of the self-moving automatos – humanity was enthralled, even intoxicated by it. Now, we see the consequences, such as the devastating fires in L.A., where bulldozers push abandoned escape vehicles aside to make way for rescue corridors.[2] This is a telling symbol of our promises of progress.

MBW

The fractured horse can thus be understood as a symbol of crisis or stagnation, and perhaps even the hinge points to the possibility of transformation. Is this transitional moment for you an invitation to rethink technical or societal paradigms?

AB

The hinge marks the site of utopia and speaks to cohesion and flexibility. It contains the potential for resurrection. “We’ll always find something better than death,” said the Bremen Town Musicians. Gerhard Marcks’ sculpture of them erected in 1953, was the first public sculpture in Bremen after the war. The ultimate limit is the sky, and as the saying goes, “Look up to see what’s coming down.”

MBW

In your earlier works, deconstruction plays a key role in uncovering new meanings. You frequently work with objects that embody a strong cultural significance, such as weapons or vehicles. It’s a surgical, almost pathological process. What insights are part of you in this approach?

AB

Everything remains in its place, and perhaps only a millimeter is missing, yet the object no longer functions as it was intended. Just one and a half degrees, a minimal fracture, shifts perspectives, the reference points, and contexts. And in this lies a beginning – no magic is required, it is entirely visible.

MBW

Beyond the themes of progress and mobility, one could also discern a feminist approach in “PS (Horsepower)”, such as a critique of power structures or a reinterpretation of classical symbols like equestrian statues.

AB

That’s certainly a possible reading of the equestrian statue – although the stance here would be one of transition. Feminist perspectives initiated this, but they must continue. The rider, in any case, is already gone, as seen in Hans Haacke’s iconic “Gift Horse”, based on a George Stubbs engraving. Before its prominent placement on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square in London, it was also exhibited at the Haus der Kunst. What remained, Haacke ambiguously referred to as “Gift”. And so, the horse remains… In the Renaissance – the era of rebirth – the horse symbolized a synthesis of power, elegance, and dynamism. This is evident, for instance, in architecture if one chooses to see it. It reflects a return to classical values. This is not such a bad approach when one considers why the proportions of a door, a bed, etc., align with human dimensions rather than being ten times larger to intimidate us. For a child, a toy is experienced as enormous. Perhaps that’s why: 9 meters long, 4 meters high, and 1.60 meters wide.

Further information about the artwork can be found  here.

[1] Virilio, Paul (1990). Rasender Stillstand (Raging Standstill). Essay. Frankfurt a. M.: Fischer.
[2] Beginning on 7 January 2025, wildfires in Southern California triggered a series of devastating large fires that primarily affected Los Angeles County. Aided by strong Santa Ana winds and exceptionally dry weather conditions, the flames quickly spread to populated areas and became one of the worst fire disasters in United States history.

Images 1-4: Peter Neusser

Image 5: Alexandra Bircken, “The Center Will Not Hold”, 2023, rocking horse, human hair, screws, metal hinge, 64,5 × 73,5 × 60,5 cm, 65 × 72 × 18 cm (closed)
Image 6: Alexandra Bircken, “RSV4”, 2020, in two parts, motorcycle, metal stand, front: 117 × 112 × 77 cm, heck/tail: 100 × 103 × 57 cm
Image 7: Alexandra Bircken, “Diana”, 2014, in two parts, 30 × 205 × 195 cm (installation dimension)
All images of the works by Alexandra Bircken: Courtesy the Artist, BQ, Berlin, Herald St and Maureen Paley, London