[Dried Out] Pond

Installation
In collaboration with Felix Bonowski (CNC milling) and Vasili Macharadze (3D modeling)

A 3D-modeled and CNC-milled clay floor invites visitors to navigate uneven terrain within the gallery space. This deliberate irregularity activates senses that are often overlooked in exhibition contexts while simultaneously evoking the image of a parched, desiccated landscape. The work recalls the clay floors once common in domestic interiors and, at the same time, reflects on humanity’s impact on ecological systems and the broader consequences of global warming.

The installation is derived from a 3D scan of the rainwater garden on the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar campus. The scan was digitally flattened and translated into CNC-milled clay tiles, each 5 cm thick and carved to a depth of 3.5 cm. The tiles were designed to provide both stability for walking and durability; nevertheless, several fractured during transport and participatory events, underscoring the material’s inherent fragility and echoing the themes explored by the work.

The clay originates from the surroundings of Weimar and remains unprocessed, allowing the tiles to be reused in future artworks or returned to ecological cycles. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes in order to experience the surface more directly and sensorially.

Supported by Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre and Horizon Europe. Special thanks to the production team: Jan Munske, Sabah Khaled Abouelhadid Elsay Hassan, Sebastian Veloza, and Alessandro Volpato.

Related Media