Art in architecture at the RheinMain CongressCenter
The outdoor area in front of the RheinMain CongressCenter will be enriched by three sculptures. Sculptor Emilia Neumann won a competition against seven other artists with her "art on the building".
Inauguration of the sculptures on August 24, 2023
Over the past few weeks, the substructure on the lawn in front of the RMCC has been built, on which the sculptures have been firmly anchored. The 37-year-old artist, who won last year's competition against seven other artists, spent around ten months working on her sculptures, which weigh several tons and are made from water containers such as rain barrels and water shells.
The installation and inauguration of three amorphous sculptures by Frankfurt sculptor Emilia Neumann marks the conclusion of the "Art in Architecture" open competition organized by TriWiCon, the client of the RheinMain CongressCenter.
Art in architecture is a special artistic task with direct public relevance and has a long tradition in Germany. Since the German Bundestag recommended in 1950 that a fixed percentage of the construction costs of all federal buildings should be used for art, several thousand works of art have been created on behalf of the federal government. Taken together, they form an internationally unique collection of art that is spread across many hundreds of locations in Germany and throughout the world.
The aim of Kunst am Bau is to revitalize public spaces and squares. To this end, the artwork deals with the location and space, content and function of the building task. The site and object reference of art in architecture helps to strengthen the acceptance and identification of users with their building and the public, to attract attention and to give locations an additional profile.
When the RheinMain CongressCenter was built, a sum was set aside in the construction budget for the art in architecture project. The client for public buildings, in the case of the RheinMain CongressCenter this is TriWiCon, a company owned by the state capital of Wiesbaden, has a responsibility in terms of building culture and serves as a role model.
Art in construction is therefore an integral part of the "RMCC" construction task.
Public buildings should reflect the level and understanding of building culture in Germany, especially when they serve prominent national functions and are located in prominent locations.
All persons admitted to the jury meetings declared that they had neither received knowledge of individual competition entries nor exchanged opinions on the task with competition participants until the day of the jury meeting on July 19, 2022 at the RheinMain CongressCenter. Those present were made aware of the anonymity of the procedure.
The jury began its deliberations by discussing the competition brief, the criteria and the specifications on the basis of the competition brief and the minutes.
Assessment criteria - artistic quality - idea - Relation to content and location - Spatial and design quality - dimensions - materiality - feasibility
Decision making
1st evaluation round Of the 8 invited artists, 8 complete and timely works were received. All 8 works were accepted. In the first critical evaluation round, the works were discussed and evaluated intensively and in detail with regard to the evaluation criteria. A simple majority vote was taken to decide whether participants should remain in the process or be eliminated.
Following the vote, works 1001, 1005 and 1006 remained in the process.
2nd evaluation round In the second evaluation round, the works were examined and critically discussed on a stricter scale.
Site inspection The jury visited the future exhibition space in front of the RheinMain CongressCenter on Friedrich-Ebert-Allee and discussed the concepts of the remaining works on site. After the site visit, the works were finally discussed and evaluated by the judges on the basis of the impressions gained.
Award In the final vote, the jury decided on the following result, each judge was able to award one vote.
1001 1 vote, shortlist
1005 1 vote, shortlist
1006 3 votes, 1st rank, 1st prize
Recommendation of the jury The jury recommended the competition sponsor, TriWiCon, to realize the competition entry 1006, which received the majority of the jury's votes. The expert jury only selected the one winning design; no further ranking of the other competition entries was undertaken.
Evaluation of work 1006 The work proposes amorphous sculptures on the southern lawn area and is convincing both through the choice of location and its specific artistic language of form. Emilia Neumann used everyday found objects to create the shapes, which she interwove in such a way that the objects can be approached from several sides. The colors chosen and the streaks of color created underline the self-determination in the artistic process. In addition, the work deals with the theme of water, an important element for Wiesbaden, and is characterized by a variety of colours and a lively appearance, which is created by the mixing of color and material.
Expert jury
An independent selection committee had invited potential artists to submit a design. The selection committee, which had the right to propose the artists to be invited, consisted of the following members:
Dr. Jörg Daur, curator for contemporary art at the Museum Wiesbaden - Hessisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Natur (Wiesbaden)
Elke Gruhn M.A., Chairwoman/ Artistic Director Nassauischer Kunstverein (Wiesbaden)
Vollrad Kutscher, Artist (Frankfurt am Main)
Daniela Leykam, KfW Foundation (Frankfurt am Main)
The jury consisted of:
Ferdinand Heide, Architektenbüro Heide, architect RMCC (Frankfurt am Main)
Dr. Andreas Henning, Museum Director Landesmuseum Wiesbaden
Thomas-W. Sante, former operations manager of TriWiCon
Heike Sütter, contemporary art projects (Trebur)
Dr. Beate Kemfert, Director of the Art and Culture Foundation, Opelvillen Rüsselsheim, Chairwoman of the Jury
"My task on the jury in the second process was not only exciting, but also a pleasure. In Emilia Neumann, the prize was awarded to an artist whose artistic approach was convincing thanks to her choice of location and the unique nature of her works. Neumann used everyday found objects to find forms, which she interwove in such a way that the objects can be approached from several sides. The colors she chose and the streaks of color she created also underscore her self-determination in the artistic process."
Dr. Beate Kemfert on her role as jury chairwoman.
Exhibition of the competition entries at the RMCC
From December 1 - 6, 2022, the eight designs from the "Kunst am Bau" competition were shown in a free exhibition in the foyer of the RMCC. The exhibition honored all submissions and explained the competition process.
In addition to Emilia Neumann, the artists Christine Biehler (Hanau), Cécile Dupaquier (Berlin), Iman Issa (Berlin), Levent Kunt (Frankfurt am Main), Christiane Möbus (Hanover), Heather Phillipson (London) and Thomas Schönauer (Düsseldorf) took part in the "Art on the RMCC Building" competition.
Impressions of the exhibition
Explanation of the sculptures by Emilia Neumann
Emilia Neumann, a sculptor who lives and works in Frankfurt, won the "Art on the RheinMain CongressCenter Building" open competition organized by TriWiCon with her design of three amorphous sculptures.
The "Congress Sculptures" group of works permanently installed in front of the RMCC consists of three sculptures specially designed for the building. The almost four-metre-high trio of sculptures is made of cast, dyed reinforced concrete. The artist Emilia Neumann moves between painting and sculpture in her working method and uses everyday objects as form-giving elements as a starting point for the concrete casting. The original use is still hinted at and then dissolves for the viewer into the abstract.
For Kunst am Bau, the artist took the thermal springs in Wiesbaden and the associated theme of water as a reference. While the materiality reacts to the RMCC and its surroundings, the form and colors stand out and assert themselves independently.
The group of figures is an invitation to discover art and space.
"Everyone should be able to interpret what they see," is how Emilia Neumann formulates the aspiration for her work.
Sculpture trio by Emilia Neumann in front of the RMCC
Emilia Neumann deliberately allows for a wide range of viewing options - this also applies to her numerous works of art, which are shown in public spaces and collections, for example in Cologne, in the cities of Ulm and Mörfelden-Walldorf and in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Neumann's art is also represented in the collection of contemporary art of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrat Berlin).
Interview with Emilia Neumann about her art in construction
How long did the process of creating the sculptures take?
Neumann: It took about 10 months in total. From the beginning of the creation to the final inauguration at the RheinMain CongressCenter. The concept was already in place at the start of the work. It was developed for the competition.
How exactly are such sculptures created?
Neumann: First I built a mold out of the water containers. I used various vessels for this, which I disassembled into different sized parts or cut out, which I thought was important for the shape. I assembled these into a mold.
This mould has internal steel reinforcements to stabilize the high compressive load from the concrete and a Styrodur core to reduce the weight.
This mould was fitted with reinforcement and Styrodur to stabilize the high compressive load from the concrete. A wooden box was then built around it, which was filled with sand to give the mold strength due to the sand. I poured the concrete mixed with pigments into this mold from above. Then everything was stripped again, sanded, embedded and polished.
Which objects and everyday items were used? How did you arrive at this selection?
Neumann: I have used all kinds of water containers. From water tanks to rain barrels, water collection amphorae to water shells - those typical blue toy shells for children. I made the special selection on the basis of recognizability; despite the deformation, it should be possible to recognize the objects more easily. I chose containers that can be bought in any DIY store, for example.
I also made sure that it would form an exciting figure and that the shapes would complement each other. The first sculpture (front) is quite simple in terms of design, whereas the second sculpture (large standing sculpture) is completely playful. The reclining sculpture contains the clearest traces of the vessels and unites the other two.
How did the color choice come about and what does it say?
Neumann: The choice of colors is different in the three sculptures, but the affiliation is still recognizable. In the lower section of the large standing sculpture (no. 2), for example, a sea with a sunset is recognizable. It was important to me to incorporate a flow of color that reacts to the surroundings in front of the RMCC. Which colors match the facade of the RMCC and how do they harmonize with the lawn on which the sculptures stand?
This resulted in an idea for each individual sculpture, which was then individually and intuitively renegotiated during the casting process.
What tools are used to create such large objects?
Neumann: Due to the size (height) of the sculptures, I sometimes needed scaffolding. Forklift trucks were also needed to drive the concrete up to the respective work surfaces. I didn't mix the concrete by hand, but used ready-mixed concrete. At least four people were always present during the casting process. It is also important to know the laws of leverage, the flow and centrifugal force of materials.
How is such an object transported to its final location?
Neumann: Due to the weight and size of the sculptures, a truck-mounted crane is needed for this. We welded a metal support structure around one of the sculptures so that it could be transported lying down.
The interview was conducted by Gesine Zimmer.
About Emilia Neumann
Emilia Neumann, born 1985 in Hessen. Studied sculpture with Prof. Wolfgang Luy and Georg Hüter at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach am Main, as well as with José Luis Vicario at the Facultad de Bellas Artes Alonso Cano in Granada, Spain.
In 2013, she completed her diploma in sculpture with Prof. Wolfgang Luy and in sociology/theories of media with Prof. Dr. Marc Ries.
2016 to 2017 teaching position for sculpture / head of the plaster and clay workshop at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach.
Regular exhibition activity since 2013. In addition to several awards she received the working scholarship of the Stiftung Kunstfonds Bonn in 2022. Works by Ms. Neumann can be found in the Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany, among others. Works in public spaces in Ulm, Cologne and in the Bundesrat building in Berlin.
