Deutschsprachige Version des Artikels During her Fresh A.I.R. Scholarship of the Stiftung Berliner Leben Greek artist Kerasia Tsiantzi created a bench for the public space. Its design is based on the positions of the human body and is particularly adapted to the conditions of the urban environment. The result is a piece of furniture that cannot only be used as a seat but also appears as a sculpture. At the beginning of the project, the artist intensively studied the behaviors, movements, and angles of human bodies while using benches or other seating in public space. Working from this documentation of various seating positions and activities and calculating the angles of different bodily positions, she has produced an unusual design that is not only functional but aesthetically pleasing and encourages interaction between the user and the object. Kerasia Tsiantzi sitting on her bench »Fluid« (2019) at Bülowstr. 97 | photo: F. Seyfert »Fluid« (2019), detail | photo: F. Seyfert »Fluid« (2019), detail | photo: F. Seyfert »Fluid« (2019), 2 of 3 fragments | photo: F. Seyfert The title “FLuid” conveys the appearance of the bench, which has a delicate, animated, and flowing look. Its streamlined form is reminiscent of a frozen wave, static for a moment but about to transform into something else. Together with the matte grey and slightly rough material of its surface, the bench fits in with various kinds of urban architecture. Designed for Berlin, the bench could easily be placed in fields and parks or on paved and cemented areas. The individual lines dominating the surface aesthetically point to a space beyond the concrete object and invite passers-by to sit down, both individually or as a group. Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube. Mehr erfahren Video laden YouTube immer entsperren 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 The material of the bench is unusual for seating of this kind, or at least it is a more recent phenomenon. At first glance, cement seems to be anything but fluid. Cement has long been viewed (at the latest since the 1980s) as a primarily stiff, boring, and generally cool building material. In recent years, cement has been seen more positively, and meanwhile even interior accessories are made of cement. In addition to its industrial charm and pared-down beauty, the shift in attitudes about cement are certainly in part due to the diverse ways it can be used, which have also been expanded by new computer technologies. Tsiantzi produced her bench with the help of a 3D printer. Each of the three pieces that make up the bench was produced by a giant industrial robot with a movable arm that applied the cement to the base of a crate in flowing movements. The crate was filled with granules of glass ensuring that the intended form was retained. Given the diverse history of cement as an initially viscous material that can be formed in various ways, it can certainly be described as fluid. Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube. Mehr erfahren Video laden YouTube immer entsperren 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 Fluidity is also a metaphor used to describe large cities and Berlin in particular. The new-old capital keeps changing its appearance and is in constant motion. Visitors and inhabitants alike are in constant motion and encounter each other in different places. Precisely these characteristics and activities are important for Tsiantzis’s bench. For its users the bench not only evokes a tactile and kinesthetic interaction and experience but enables them to make contact and interact with other people. Also, it provides an opportunity for users to withdraw from the hectic of the big city, take a break, and be alone. In terms of its use, Tsiantzis’s bench is definitely fluid. Text: Dr. Kea Wienand About Kerasia Tsiantzi Kerasia Tsiantzi is an Industrial designer from Greece. After she graduated from the Polytechnical Design University in Syros island, Greece, she started to run her own brand called “CONCREaTE”. She designs and manufactures decorative and useful concrete items for home. After recently finishing her master studies in Architectural design in Thessaloniki, she decided to explore bigger scale constructions combining them with technological tools. For more information about the artist: Facebook / Instagram The online showcase of Fresh A.I.R. #3 The online showcase offers an opportunity to get an overview of the highly diverse projects of the third group of Fresh A.I.R. artists with their different kinds of media and aesthetics. On view are video and photographic materials about the individual projects, each of which is accompanied by an explanatory text that aims to offer insights into the work’s aesthetic experience. learn more abouth the online showcase
