Veit Stratmann: The Muhlenberg Floor
German artist Veit Stratmann’s installation in the Martin Art Gallery offers visitors a colorful, playful, and thought-provoking experience to engage in visually, physically, and intellectually.
Friday, February 28, 2014 02:18 PM
March 12 – April 12, 2014
Reception: March 12, 4:30 - 6:00pm
Working with his design plan of 224 circular elements, Stratmann covers the floor of the Martin Art Gallery. Each circle is approximately 32” in diameter and topped with two different shades of carpet symmetrically separated by a thin aluminum strip. Guided by the metal strip, no two elements are oriented in the same direction. They also are juxtaposed to maximize color contrast.
Each element is large enough for two people to stand on simultaneously. Visitors are encouraged to walk on them and wander throughout the gallery. Decision making and questions will arise. Simply look at the elements, or walk on them? If a viewer chooses to walk on them, is he now part of the installation, or still a viewer? When multiple visitors are in the gallery, how do they move to accommodate each other?
The Muhlenberg Floor is the third in a series of Floor Projects for Stratmann. His first, in 2010, was at LiveInYourHead—Curatorial Institute of the Geneva University of Art and Design. He followed in 2011 with another installation in Galerie Chez Valentin, Paris. Stratmann feels the Martin Art Gallery has presented a new set of challenges and sees it not only as a gallery space but also a teaching tool.
Veit Stratmann was born in Bochum, Germany in 1960 and currently lives in Paris. He has exhibited his work extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. and currently teaches at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts de Lyon. Veit Stratmann: The Muhlenberg Floor opens March 12 with a reception to meet the artist, 4:30 – 6 PM in the Martin Art Gallery, Baker Center for the Arts. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Gallery hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon – 8:00 p.m., additional hours by appointment.
Artist rendering: M.A.G. Plan I (detail) colored pencil on paper, 2013
