Beautiful day to tour skulptur projekte münster 07 - http://www.skulptur-projekte.de/
What a perfect ending for Art Ride 2007. As the curators note, Münster has become an “open-air museum for contemporary sculpture in public space”. A “museum” that encourages the viewers to tour the exhibition … by bicycle!
Ran into Natalie Kovacs (curator-artist-consultant and Art Ride paparazzi) who accompanied me on the tour and helped record the experience. Over coffee we reviewed the locations of the various artworks and mapped-out a bike tour. It was quite a scavenger hunt within the old city centre especially since we were vying for space on small cobblestone roads and walkways with tourists and city dwellers. We did end up catching a glimpse of public installations by Andreas Siekmann, Deimantas Narkevicius, Gustav Metzger, Marko Lehaka, Silke Wagner, Isa Genzken, Hans-Peter Feldman, Nairy Baghramian and Michael Asher.
We got to hang-out with the some real animals in Mike Kelley’s Petting Zoo. Futher along our route we hop on bikes of another kind … stationary bikes … that power the video screens on which we see Guy Ben-Ner’s film “I’d give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it”. You can make it as short or as long as you’d like depending on how fast you pedal. We meander Lake Aa where we see Rosemarie Trockel’s sculpture made of Yew bushes. We listen to Susan Philipsz’s sound sculpture. Then back along the bike route around the lake to view a few remnents of Skulpur Projektes past … permanently installed sculptures by Jorge Pardo and Ilya Kabakov (both from 1997) and Donald Judd and Claes Oldenburg from 1977.
We cycled through Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster’s sculputre garden Roman de Münster. A theme park of 1:4 scale replicas of sculptures she selected from previous installments of the Skulpur Projekte. And on our way back to the city centre, we stop to see Dan Graham’s Oktogon für Münster (from 1987). It’s a beautifully subtle work installed in the Schlossgarten.
Just when we thought our tour was over, having returned the bike Natalie had rented, we stumble on Thomas Schutte’s Modell fùr ein Museum (Model for a Mueum) which essentially consists of a glass structure placed over a fountain erected by the Chamber of Commerce in the exact spot of his 1987 sculptural contribution, Kierschensäule. Interesting how the artist was able to reclaim his previous space, incorporating the fountain into a new work that is essentially a concept maquette for a museum structure that may never be realized. A striking critique on the fragility of this ‘open-air museum’, or the relationship of public art and its host communities.
There were some strong works, and some that are not so successful, yet there was a sensitivity and consideration by all the participating artists to the chosen locales creating an overall experience that was engaging, enjoyable, fun even, that it was well worth the (Art Ride) tour.

A selection of her photos are included below. Thank you Nat!

19 June : Last stage of cycling! Kassel to Münster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster

Beautiful warm sunny day … no rain! Petra and I enjoyed a quiet ride through farmlands and small towns on fairly flat terrain.

18 June : rest day in Kassel, tour Documenta 12
http://www.documenta12.de/aktuelles.html?&L=1
Touring the various exhibition spaces and presentation venues that comprise documenta 12, I can’t help but feel perplexed and confused. Was it the exhibition structure or was it just me? After so many days of cycling, then spending time video editing, searching for internet access, uploading video sequences to the blog site, and reviewing comments and correspondences, maybe I was just too exhausted mentally to digest what I had just witnessed.
I made the decision to buy the documenta catalogue … not such a big deal unless you still have another 195km to ride from Kassel to Münster and very little panier space to spare … in order to read the curatorial essay and discover firsthand, so to speak, what exactly went into their decisions.
Unfortunately, this year’s documenta catalogue is without any curatorial essay. Only text included by the curator Ruth Novack is a short Preface co-signed with Director, and husband, Roger M. Buergel. They do refer in this preface, that this year’s installment is “an exhibition without form” … period. Not sure how that’s possible for an obviously, tightly curated exhibition. As for any reference to the artwork chosen they proclaim that “art is not without context; each work is attached to a local history.” How then, can they further state that an artwork can, “communicate itself and on its own terms” when it is butted up against and overlapping other works included in the exhibition. The works that seemed to stand out most for me were those I now realize had their own room in which to breathe and thus, allow the viewer to experience independently. Worst case scenario was in the Aue Pavilion. This awkward open-concept, temporary exhibition space didn’t provide much opportunity for contemplation … I kind of feel sorry for the artists whose work was placed there. And there were some beautiful works but they were certainly compromised by the claustrophobic structure of the installation.

Petra has resurfaced!

After taking the train out of Basel Petra decided to forego our designated meeting place in Baden Baden and continued on her own to Karlsruhe, then finally to Kassel.

Stage 9 - 267 km - Heidelberg to Alsfeld http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsfeld

bad day run into heavy downpour 2 hours outside of Heidelberg, stop briefly under a bus shelter. move on in the rain through beautiful rolling hills until another heavy downpour and lightning. cold, wet and distraught - time to find a train station. along the way I loose my glasses, then my helmet which fell under train and onto tracks - too tight a squeeze to attempt to retrieve. Decide to continue on the Kassel where I can find a bike store and get a new one. Now proud owner of a German-made helmet.

Stage 8: Baden Baden to Heidelberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg

more route navigation challenges, some rain etc. nothing new but the restrictions on cyclists are frustrating. Yet again we arrive late this time around 10:30pm in Heidelberg. Happy to finally remove soaking wet clothing. AM has a friend living there who generously offered to take us in. What an amazing welcome, she had prepared a pasta dinner and had beer and wine and cheese laid out for us … what a treat!

still no sign of Petra, send her an email update using our host’s connection.

Stage 7: 185 km - Basel to Baden Baden Read more about Baden Baden >>

As we leave the hostel to start our next stage Petra decides she would rather take the train out of Basel. Given my interest in recording (via time lapsed photography) the transitions between urban and rural contexts I am dead set on cycling out of the city, AM is up for the challenge of navigating out of Basel. We part ways agreeing to meet at the hotel in BADEN BADEN.

Upon entering Germany our proposed route is put in jeopardy. The Germans a very strict as to where cyclists can venture and if there is a bike route cyclists are banned from the small highways between towns. Within a half hour of cycling in Germany we are kicked off the route and forced to take bike paths that end up meandering between farmland and industrial lands. We feel like we are going in circles as there is little to no signage. Time to stop and devise a new route focusing on small “yellow” roads, on Michelin maps.

In to the Black Forest we go, beautiful hilly landscape. The roads are quiet as they weave up and down with tight turns. Great for cycling. End up on a 400 metre pass, Beiderbach. A well known training area for local racers.

We arrive in Baden Baden late but feeling good with our accomplishment.

Petra is no where to be seen. We wait until noon the next morning before heading to Heidelberg. Slightly worried but hoping to see her at the next destination.

13 June : Stage 6 - 100 km - Winterthur to Basel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel

After a late night dealing with digitizing all the video and photo footage I head out with Petra and AM at 6am for Basel. Looking forward to attending the Basel Art Fair. Unfortunately get in later than expected and only see a portion of it. Did however get a chance to see an intriguing exhibition at the Scjhweizerisches ArchitekturMuseum, Instant Urbanism: Tracing the theories of the Situationists in Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism. Definitely a must see.
http://www.merianverlag.ch

tour of Art 38 Basel - http://www.artbasel.com/go/id/ss/

Chur to Winterthur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winterthur

after staying at a not so great hotel in Chur we start out on a foggy day for Winterthur. AM is still with us.

11 June : Stage 4 - 97km (112 km projected)
Chiavenna to Chur. [ Read more about Chure >> ]

An acquaintance of Petra’s joins us in Chiavenna, intent to cycle with us all the way to Kassel.
As we say good-bye to our hosts at La Specola (http://www.bblaspecola.it/) they offer us a gift, a locally crafted handmade wooden bowl. As it turns out we are the first Canadians to stay at their B&B. How incredibly thoughtful!

The three of us start out that morning with beautiful weather. This is the day we cycle up to the Passo dello Spluga a 2,113 metre high mountain pass. Hit with rain and fog at the top of the pass where we crossed into Switzerland.
[ Read more about Spl%C3%BCgen Pass >> ]
The weather eventually cleared and we had a beautiful ride in Switzerland into Chur.