"Hoher Besuch", 2005
MARTa Herford
Helicopter, electric motor, electricity
630cm x 1340cm x 1300cm.
«When I came here, I realised immediately that what was needed here was a helicopter,» said the affable artist Michael Sailstorfer. «I knew that loads of visitors would be coming to the museum from a long way away - and that's why I opted for a means of transport. The curved shapes in the architecture and the roundabout seemed to point to a helicopter. The reflective glass is a reference to the work of Luciano Fabro,» explained Michael Sailstorfer.
The rotor blades will rotate in the morning and evening in connection with the museum’s opening times as well as when exhibitions are opened. The position and landing lights will also be switched on. The work of art is intended to communicate the museum’s dynamics to the outside world. The use of black is designed to create a sense of disconcertment and confusion. The helicopter has been purchased for the museum and will remain permanently on display.
source: marta-herford.de
MARTa Herford's third outdoor sculpture has finally arrived. On Wednesday 17 August, Michael Sailstorfer's black helicopter turned up in a very unspectacular fashion – on board a low-loader. Following final assembly on the car park (involving the installation of the rotor blades and the electric motor), the helicopter took off on one of its final flights. Suspended from a crane, it floated above the car park and past the museum building before being set down accurately on top of a small transformer building on Goebenstrasse.
«I had seen some of Michael Sailstorfer's works in Amsterdam and knew straightaway that he was the one for us. He's got a feel for space, for combining things and contexts,» declared artistic director Jan Hoet. The many locals observing the flight also voiced their approval. The first curious spectators had already arrived in the morning. By lunchtime, the car park and the surrounding pavements were full and passing drivers stopped to watch the spectacle.
