A Surprisingly Astonishing Supplication
At the Goethe Museum, a novel exhibition titled "Light Arcs" showcases three-meter-tall window designs by Günther Uecker. These impressive window creations, encompassing canvas and catch glass panels, are adorned with glass melting colors, providing visitors with an intriguing glimpse into the artist's innovative techniques.
The installed pieces reveal the flowing aquarelle-like colors and eye-catching glass cutouts resembling sea reflections, transcribed into glass. A film by Michael Kluth offers insights into the project's inception, from Uecker's exploration of Schwerin Cathedral to the unveiling of the "Light Arcs" during Pastor Volker Mischok's workshop visit in Düsseldorf harbor.
In a poignant statement, the esteemed artist expresses his view that "museums and houses of God, be it Christian church, synagogue, mosque, or temple, are stone transformed into hallelujahs, which we bring forth as a response from the invisible." He envisions these sacred spaces as "heavenly towns, where prayer and liturgy find their place, thus making the presence of divine existence immediately accessible."
Two out of the four windows designed by Uecker were handed over to the community with a ceremony at Schwerin Cathedral in September 2023, while the remaining two are scheduled for presentation in the autumn of 2024.
Remarkably, the Goethe Museum links Uecker's Project with exhibits from the Kippenberg collection, showcasing Goethe's early and late-life engagement with Gothic architecture, his fascination with natural phenomena like luminous sky arcs, and his observations on the color blue in "Theory of Colors."
Uecker's "Light Arcs" project stems from his lifelong exploration of light as a sculptural medium, creating immersive visual experiences by merging artistic form with atmospheric light patterns. The project represents his dialogues with minimalism and avant-garde movements while maintaining a personal, meditative aesthetic. These artistic forays echo Goethe's phenomenological approach to color and natural phenomena, as both artists seek to capture not just the physical properties of light and color but their emotional and perceptual effects on the observer.
The "Light Arcs" project by Günther Uecker, showcased at the Goethe Museum, expands beyond three-meter-tall window designs to encompass cultural travel, as it provides a direct insight into the artist's exploration of religious spaces like Schwerin Cathedral. Delving deeper into the study of light as a sculptural medium, this project echoes the lifestyles of both Uecker and Goethe, whose fascination with natural phenomena and color resonates in their revolutionary artistic styles.
