2024

auf Anfrage zugänglich

Kindergarten Haimhauserstraße 17, 80802 München

Fotografie, Inkjet Druck, Schichtstoffplatte, drei Bildtafeln zu je 125 cm X 187 cm

Architecture: Braun Architekten, München

Landscape architecture: Clemens Fauth Landschaftsarchitekten, Stadtplaner, Ingenieure, Berg

Photos: Florian Holzherr

Text: Katrin Bauer

The vast, glittering blue stretches from a wooded sea coast to the distant horizon. A gentle breeze tickles the face. Below us, the sound of the ocean waves; above, screeching seagulls, circling gleefully in the open sky. The air smells of salt and adventure.

“Where would we end up if we just started walking straight ahead from here?” Photographer Jon Etter asked himself this very question when he began designing his art in public space project for the new playground and open space in the context of the renovation of the municipal daycare center located at Haimhauser Strasse 17 in Altschwabing. Etter’s photo installation “Meerblick” takes us on a conceptual journey to the so-called “land’s end” i.e., the outermost point of a country that extends into the sea. Consisting of three large-format, virtually seamless landscape photographs, the picture panels — mounted on a fence — become carriers of possible stories. They depict a panoramic view of the scenic and rugged Wolin National Park, located not far from the German-Polish border.

A playground with a view of the sea? Why not! Notably since the Romantic period of painting, the so-called “vista mare” has been a traditional motif among artists, serving as a way to reflect inner emotional worlds and to depict themes such as departure, harmony or the exploration of new challenges. Precisely because the sea is able to reflect the complexity of human experiences in such a comprehensive manner, Etter’s art also acts here as a stimulus for playful contemplation and activity.

For this, the Swiss artist converted the fence, which functioned as a physical threshold, into a foundation for his site-specific project, thereby transforming his photographic installation into a connecting element that not only eases the boundary between outside and inside but also takes its audience on a journey of discovery to the borders of Europe. Both figuratively and literally, Etter purposely plays with visual fractures: “Disruptions and duplications are certainly desirable, as they create slight irritations and draw the eye to details,” remarks the artist describing his work.

To circumvent the limitations created by the fence, Etter deliberately established a link to the dynamics of the playground’s adjacent jungle gym. Thus, the children’s perspective is never placed in front of his art; rather, they are always an integral part of it. The photographic panorama not only cuts a metaphorical time frame into the public space; it also encourages children to see things from afar, especially when they are are able to look at the work of art whilst playing on the neighbouring climbing tower. By exploring the boundaries of the documentary in terms of perspective, Etter expands the self-contained courtyard into a stage on which contradictions interact, thereby creating a tipping point that inspires the imagination and development of every child.