The Dungeon – Emotional Spheres Between Literature and Sculpture

This work is about approaching (emotive) spatiality through literature, inspired by Thomas Bernhard‘s work and being. Bernhard writes about sensations in a f ictional space and manages to convey a feeling for the space to the reader. How can you perceive a space without having been in it?

This leads to an immersion in a spatial reference in Bernhards real life, his Vierkanthof in Ohlsdorf. This gives rise to the concept of Kerker as an emotiv spatiality, which provides the decisive approach for this work. Bernhard‘s Kerker is understood as a place of self-isolation that forces self-reflection and raises fundamental questions. His f igures constantly switch between oppressive and fulfilling architectures, which is reflected in a constant inner and outer conflict.

My literary exploration is approached in a sculptural way. Can literary questions be answered through sculpture? Theses and themes emerge, which are continuously transferred onto the sculpture. By alternating between these different methods, reflection takes place in both directions, ultimately creating a dialog between practical and theoretical work. The aim of this work is to raise open questions and give impulses to experience space and literature on a sculptural and emotional level. Both sculpture and text can be read freely and openly by the viewer.

Christoph Meier