JEPPE HEIN - ENTANGLED EMOTIONS
Jeppe Hein – Entangled Emotions: An artwork for Frankfurt’s urban space
On Taunusstrasse, on the edge of the Wallanlagen in Frankfurt’s banking district, a new space unfolds in front of the SKYPER tower and the SKYPER Villa.
Three curvy and bright yellow street lamps by artist Jeppe Hein climb up towards the sky in front of the façade of the SKYPER tower. At first glance, they are functional elements of urban space as we know them, but this first impression is deceiving. Neither the conventional expectations of public lightning nor that of a monumental sculpture in front of a bank building is fulfilled. Entangled Emotions is both and thus an expansion and radicalization of traditional ideas about art and its role in public space. Inspired by traditional Danish street lamps, their arms expand organically upwards. They twist in loops that intertwine with the architecture and reflect the urban landscape in an interplay between the reflections of the buildings and the movements of passers-by. In their sculptural nature, they not only give light to the space, but also lean towards the observers to enter into a dialogue with them.
This commissioned work for the Frankfurt cityscape is a reason to celebrate. Framed by the Skyper Tower and the Villa, the forecourt has been transformed into a notable place by this permanent sculpture. In the middle of Frankfurt’s banking district, next to the works of renowned artists in the Wallanlagen and in front of the high-rises, Hein’s latest installation enriches the long tradition of Frankfurt art in public spaces.
Jeppe Hein’s deep connection to Frankfurt goes back to his years as a student at Städelschule. The Main, the park landscapes, the skyscrapers, the combination of the banking metropolis and subculture were formative for the artist. They have had a significant influence on his work and led to the development of Entangled Emotions (2024), which he designed for the forecourt of the Skyper Tower as the winner of an invited competition. Jeppe Hein’s latest work is precisely at this interface between the different realities of life in the district around Taunusstrasse, to come up with a work that subtly creates a place that was previously invisible. Jeppe Hein’s sculptures are walkable; you want to enter them, surround yourself, feel their elegance and be surprised.
In the artist’s opinion, the space should be filled with cheerfulness, become a social space, where the art should be refreshing and human interaction is fostered. In the best case, the viewer enters into a conversation with the art and other passers-by. Space and emotions intertwining in a constant dance.
Entangled Emotions is conceived as a permanent work in urban space and was commissioned by the building owner represented by Ampega Asset Management GmbH. The SKYPER Tower is an architectural landmark in the Frankfurt skyline. Its distinctive shape and outstanding location are an important part of the city’s identity. As part of the further development of the tower, the public areas and the forecourt were redesigned. The design by architects BilleBeyeScheid deliberately works contextually in terms of material and color in order to create a suitable setting for the art.
Homegoing – Jeppe Hein back in Frankfurt
With Entangled Emotions, Jeppe Hein returns to Frankfurt with a permanent work in public urban space. This is a tribute to him and his work in this city. It is not only his time at the Städelschule, but also his first institutional exhibitions that firmly connect him with Frankfurt and vice versa: in 2001 he first showed his Moving Bench #02 in the exhibition ‘Neue Welt’ at the Frankfurter Kunstverein, and only a short time later at the important exhibition ‘Das lebendige Museum’ at the MMK and in ‘Auf eigene Gefahr’ at the Schirn Kunsthalle. Once the museum guests have sat down at the benches, they move through the room, as if there was a magic force. Simultaneously, the walls start moving, gently counteracting the idea of a fixed, familiar art space and transporting the viewer to an unknown change of perspective. Hein plays with the concept of truth in art. Nothing is as it seems, art is always a mirror of the viewer, fixed parameters are shifted, physical laws are outsmarted. The idea of the work of art as a ‘collective work’ has the viewer participating voluntarily or involuntarily. Only recently, in 2020, Jeppe Hein was invited back to Schirn Kunsthalle for the exhibition ‘Today I feel like… ‘, where the audience was the main actor, painting self-portraits that come together to form a remark- able community artwork of a collective and individual emotional world.
Faites Vos Jeux – In good company
Between Sol Lewitt’s Open Cubes, Heinz Mack’s Ponto-Brunnen opposite Jürgen-Ponto-Platz, Franz West’s blue, meandering sculpture in front of the Taunus Tower and Cyprien Gaillard’s Frankfurter Schacht in the Taunusanlage, Jeppe Hein’s Entangled Emotions is in good artistic company. Mostly classified as minimal or conceptual art, Hein’s art is also and above all guided by a love of playfulness. He created the three lanterns twisting around each other for the first time in this size, a monumental Alice in Wonderland installation; lamps as a talking forest of sculptures, figures inviting you to lie down in the loop or swing from one of the arms. They are first a sculpture, then a lamp. The area around the SKYPER has always been an entertainment district, and at the beginning of the 20th century, rows of hotels, restaurants and cafés were built here, as well as the famous Schumann Theater. It attracted thousands of spectators with its impressive architecture. But above all – and this is where the spirit of Hein comes into play – it housed almost everything that had to do with play – variety shows, circuses (think of Circus Hein), acrobatics, revues and sports arenas.
“Charged with history and the societal bridges reflected there, my artistic intervention aims to sharpen awareness of this spatial and societal multidimensionality. It reflects the constantly changing perspectives that shape our perception and emotions. The forms are not rigid but in constant motion, intertwining as if space and emotions were dancing together.”
—Jeppe Hein
With the SKYPER Tower and the Villa, the three light sculptures with the classic lamp heads by Danish designer Louis Poulsen have two strong neighbors. The lanterns are a permanent group of works in Hein’s oeuvre. In Ishøj, Denmark, at the Arken Museum, he created an entire parcours of these light sculptures in 2021. At the same time, they are also homage to Martin Kippenberger, with whom Jeppe Hein shares a subtle sense of humor and cheerfulness in art. Each with its own individual character, they appear together and dynamic, changing perspec- tive depending on the viewer’s position. They create a binding force for the square for those walking past and through, creating a connection between the horizontal movement of the passers-by and the lanterns reaching up into the vertical heights. Entangled Emotions do justice to the urban location. Hein’s works are not limited to the physical space but expand the emotional and mental space of the viewer, playfully and profoundly inviting us to look at the world and ourselves from a new perspective.
Jeppe Hein – Projects in public space
“While the relationship between visitor and work in a museum is largely fixed, art in public spaces allows viewers to find initial access and overcome their reservations. Moreover, the open character of public spaces offers me as an artist the opportunity to work in a very conceptual way; without the institutional constraints of the museum, external conditions such as nature, space, public, and environment can be reflected and translated into artistic ideas.”
—Jeppe Hein
The Frankfurt installation is part of a large body of work by the artist. Jeppe Hein’s public installations are an essential part of his work. His aim is to integrate art seamlessly into everyday life and embed it in the local environment. His site-specific works are designed to reflect the unique urban context, architecture and community of the area. Central to Hein’s approach is the promotion of a dynamic relationship between space, objects and viewers, with everything designed for interaction. His work encourages active participation and transforms observers into committed co-creators, changing traditional perceptions of art.
Jeppe Hein’s works are a fixture in public spaces around the world. One may think particularly in his Modified Social Benches, Mirror Labyrinths and Water Pavilions. They are always site-specific, reflecting the surrounding urban environment and its social context. The Modified Social Benches encourage social interaction in a subtle, ironic way; their unconven- tional designs, formally refined to the finest detail, raise awareness of public spaces. The Mirror Labyrinths consist of mirrors arranged in geometric patterns that confront the viewer with altered reflections and thus challenge the perception of space and one’s own identity. The Water Pavilions show moving walls of water that evoke the fleetingness of space and time.
Through these approaches, Hein creates artworks that go beyond traditional viewing and emphasize interaction and participation. His work combines art, architecture and public space into a dynamic experience that opens new perspectives and redefines the relationship between viewer and artwork.
“With my Modified Street Lights, I aim to infuse the place with cheerfulness and friendliness, focusing on bringing people together. If viewers interact with my art and come closer to each other, perhaps share a smile or briefly engage in conversation, then for me, the artwork is a success.”
—Jeppe Hein
Location:
SKYPER, Forecourt Taunusstrasse, 60329 Frankfurt am Main
Work details:
Entangled Emotions, 2024
Powder-coated stainless steel, powder-coated lamp head Albertslund Maxi by Louis Poulsen, LED
Modified Street Light SKYPER #01: 477 x 634 x 88 cm
Modified Street Light SKYPER #02: 468 x 177 x 88 cm
Modified Street Light SKYPER #03: 480 x 213 x 136 cm