Solaria
Maquette, 2020
Sketch design for artwork in public space, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden [rejected]. Jesmonite, wood, acrylic paint, styrofoam, plaster, laser prints, scale model scenery
Various sizes
Directional indicators for meditation and healing, based on the orbit of the sun and human contact, with sculptural references to the local vicinty. If realized, the sculptures would be made of aluminium, stainless steel, ceramic mosaic and concrete – approximately 3,5 meters high.
The design consists of a series of sculptures based on the concept of healing. In particular, the proposal draws on the sun as both a symbolic and actual driving force of the healing process: with light as a never-ending source of energy and life.
The sculptures are placed like sundials and mark the position of the sun at different times. They are reminiscent of organic lava formations and abstract trees; and as imprints of hands grasping and holding, they also visualize human contact. They become pillars that sustain mental strength and vitality.
With influences from the surrounding nature (the triangular forest park, its trees, and the basalt pillars at Ryd’s caves) and by visualising the movement patterns of the sun, the sculptures create rhythm and harmony. They act as a kind of portal between individual thoughts and larger cosmic systems; compasses that help visitors see their position in the world, as part of something larger. The concept is based on the idea that different parts of the universe interact and depend on each other – and that balance can be found even beneath the seemingly chaotic.
The three-dimensional “grip” sculpture is reworked into a 2D contour drawing, from which components are cut out to be reassembled into a new 3D stainless steel sculpture.