The river Kutschenitza—the border between the Duchy of Styria and the kingdom of Hungary in mediaeval times and, following the demise of the Habsburg monarchy, between Austria and Yugoslavia—today forms the state boundary between Slovenia and Austria.
This mutual history of the river, accompanied by channelisation measures that led to shifts of the border, stream restoration efforts and integration into the European Green Belt, exemplifies political and social, economic and ecological dimensions in the border region.
René Stessl’s work Freundschaft (Friendship) on the border bridge at Gerlinci/Klöch, consisting of six metallic “bridging staples”, sends out an unequivocal message. He connects two countries symbolically in order to stop them from possibly drifting apart and emphasise the common features of a region in mutual respect of national difference. As a living part of the installation he plants the wine characteristic of this region, intending it to be cultivated, tended, harvested, pressed and savoured together.
Not as an exalted sculpture on a plinth, but rather by engaging with the immediate surroundings, the border thus becomes a topic for fruitful dialogue in terms of both its territorial form and its diverse significance. (Elisabeth Fiedler)
---
Kučnica, srednjeveška meja med vojvodino Štajersko in Kraljevino Ogrsko, po propadu habsburške monarhije meja med Avstrijo in Jugoslavijo, je danes mejna reka med Slovenijo in Avstrijo.
Vzajemna zgodovina tega potoka – z vsemi regulacijskimi ukrepi, ki so s seboj prinesli tudi prestavitev meje, renaturacijskimi ukrepi in vključitvijo v Evropski zeleni pas – odraža tako politične in družbene kot tudi gospodarske in ekološke vidike te mejne regije.
René Stessl s svojim delom Prijateljstvo ob mejnem mostu Gerlinci/Klöch, ki sestoji iz šestih kovinskih premostitvenih sponk, pošilja jasno sporočilo. Simbolno povezuje dve državi, da bi preprečil morebitna razhajanja in poudaril skupnost regije upoštevajoč drugačnost obeh. Zato je kot živ del instalacije posadil za to regijo značilno vinsko trto, ki naj bi jo skupaj vzgajali, negovali, obirali, stiskali in uživali.
A ne kot vzvišen kip na temelju, temveč kot nekaj, kar se neposredno poda v okolico, postane meja tako v teritorialnem kot v raznolikem pomenu tema pestre izmenjave. (Elisabeth Fiedler)
Location:
border between A-8493 Klöch and Gerlinci (Slovenia)
46°45'02.1"N 15°59'10.6"E
