[Dried Out] Pond

In collaboration with Felix Bonowski (clay), Vasili Macharadze (modeling)

A 3D-modeled and CNC-milled pond invites visitors to navigate an uneven terrain within the gallery space. The work evokes the clay floors that, until recently, were common in domestic interiors, while simultaneously reflecting on human impact on ecological systems and the wider consequences of global warming.
The piece is based on a 3D scan of the Bauhaus University Weimar campus garden pond. This scan was digitally flattened and translated into CNC-milled clay tiles, each 5 cm thick and carved to a depth of 3.5 cm. This approach ensured both stability for walking and resilience of the tiles. Despite this, some tiles fractured during transportation and participatory events, underscoring the fragility inherent in the material and the theme.
The clay originates from the surroundings of Weimar and remains unprocessed, making the tiles reusable in future works or ecological cycles. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes in order to experience the surface more directly and sensorially.

Many thanks to the production team: Jan Munske, Sabah Khaled Abouelhadid Elsay Hassan, Sebastian Veloza, and Alessandro Volpato

Supported by Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre and Horizon Europe, Grant Agreement No. 101135986.

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