A weekend dedicated to the Purple Path | 15.06.-16.06.2024

On Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 3 p.m., the sculpture “Modified Social Bench for Jahnsdorf #01” by Danish artist Jeppe Hein will be inaugurated in Jahnsdorf in the Ore Mountains. This adds another work to the PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail, the major art project of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. And on June 16, 2024, the artist Iskender Yediler will also be in conversation with PURPLE PATH curator Alexander Ochs.

Image above: © Jeppe Hein, Modified Social Bench for Jahnsdorf #01, 2024; Courtesy König Galerie, Berlin and 303 Gallery, New York; Photo: Gemeinde Jahnsdorf/ Erzgeb.

Inauguration of Jeppe Hein’s “Modified Social Bench” on June 15, 2024 in Jahnsdorf/Erzgeb.

Inspired by the benches in New York’s Central Park and his exploration of themes such as closeness and distance, the artist Jeppe Hein, who was born in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 1974 and lives in Berlin, developed a series of sculptures entitled “Modified Social Benches”.

With “Modified Social Bench for Jahnsdorf #01”, a multi-part aluminum sculpture, Jeppe Hein focuses on encounters between people. In a playful way, Jeppe Hein breaks with the ban on touching or using art and thus questions conventions in dealing with works of art. The artist changes the typical arrangement of seating surfaces, backrests and angles found around the world, as well as the height of benches as part of street furniture, in such a way that sitting becomes both a physical and non-verbal communicative act. Hein’s bench object, specially designed for the Jahnsdorf location, uses curves and differences in height to create a course that invites people to sit, lie down or slide around dynamically. In a playful way, he also dissolves the common principle of prohibiting the direct touching or use of art and raises questions about the conventions of dealing with the artwork. Hein also extends his questioning to today’s common functional objects of public space itself, which are usually set up and initiated by local authorities and municipal administrations: Sealed surfaces, city benches, playground furniture or even design sculptures. As a result, egalitarian and open spaces are increasingly disappearing, being rendered unusable or closed off with the aim of protecting them from vandalism, misappropriation or sabotage.

Together with the citizens of Jahnsdorf, the artist confronts this controlling and exclusionary design of urban space with a work of art in an undesigned location below the train station. Here, Hein’s sculpture “Modified Social Bench for Jahnsdorf #01”, created in 2024, playfully opens up a field of interpersonal communication in which the meeting of people takes center stage.

The inauguration will take place at the playground at Jahnsdorf station. Following the official inauguration, all guests are invited to the orchard meadow to take part in Jeppe Hein’s participatory art project “Breathe with me”.

3 pm: Welcome with champagne reception

3 – 4 pm: Greetings and introduction to the artwork
Albrecht Spindler, Mayor of the municipality of Jahnsdorf/Erzgebirge
State Secretary Prof. Thomas Popp, Commissioner of the Saxon State Government for the European Capital of Culture 2025
Knut Kunze, Mayor for Law, Safety and Environmental Protection, City of Chemnitz
Stefan Schmidtke, Managing Director Program European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH

Jeppe Hein’s work will be introduced by:
Alexander Ochs, curator of the PURPLE PATH
Dr. Uta Ruhrkamp, ​​Senior Curator, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg

4 – 5 pm: Joint walk through the orchard and “Breath with me” campaign

Artist talk with Iskender Yediler on June 16, 2024 in Lichtenstein/Sa.

On June 16, artist Iskender Yediler, whose work “Untitled (ESDA)” has been part of the PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail in Lichtenstein/Sa. since August 2023, will also be in conversation with PURPLE PATH curator Alexander Ochs in the former knitwear factory.

The two will talk about the artwork as well as the history of the G.A. Bahner factory, later ESDA, in whose immediate vicinity Yediler’s work is located.

The event starts at 3 p.m. and is a cooperation between the Museum of the City of Lichtenstein/Sa. and the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH.

WHEN?

Modified Social Bench: on Saturday, 15. June 2024, from 3 pm

Artist talk with Iskender Yediler: on Sunday, 16. June 2024, at 3 pm

WHERE?

Modified Social Bench:
Spielplatz am Bahnhof
Straße der Jugend 5
09387 Jahnsdorf Erzgebirge

Artist Talk:
Treffpunkt Lichtenstein/Sa.
Am Bahnhof 6 
09350 Lichtenstein/Sachsen