As of October 2009, Retznei boasts a new centre. In the middle of the square, the black contours of a concrete surface stand out, reminiscent of the shape of a pond. If you step on the Platform, you notice that the ground gives in slightly and that it sways. Invisibly but noticeably, water reveals itself as a key component of this art work by Michael Kienzer. The water carries the Platform and us, while we are walking or standing on it. What we experience may remind us of a rocking boat or a floating mooring. Or it may cue us to reflect on how firm the ground beneath our feet really is, the ground upon which we – figuratively – move every single day. Or it simply gives us pleasure to playfully test our sense of balance with others or on our own.
Michael Kienzer’s Platform was the winning project in a competition held by the Institute for Art in Public Space Styria. The artists invited to take part were to react with their designs to the specific situation in Retznei: to the fact that the place now has a “main square” for the first time in its history, and to the visuals of the town, so full of contrasts and characterised by one of Austria’s largest cement works. At the same time, the aim was to create something new here, also in terms of art.
With his Platform Michael Kienzer has found a solution that is unique in several respects and that will receive attention in Austria and beyond. The Platform, whose main material, concrete, makes distinct reference to the economic mainstay of the town, has only one thing in common with the classical village well: it meets all the conditions for playing a major role in turning the new centre of Retznei into a place of encounter and communication.
A project of the Institute for Art in Public Space Styria
With the assistance of: The municipality of Retznei, Lafarge Perlmooser GmbH
Technical realisation: ABdomen Architektur/werkraum wien
Location: Marktplatz Retznei, Retznei 21, 8461 Retznei
