Aigner ACHTUNG ÄCHTUNG, 2023
The Art Walk
ACHTUNG ÄCHTUNG, 2023
Total height of the light art installation 16.5 meters
At the latest when you discover what I want to show, it hurts. It would be good if it would hurt those about whom my works are about even earlier. But then I wouldn’t have to show anything.
EDUCATION
BA in Philosophy, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
Grants, awards, recognition
2007 Gold World Medal New York Festivals, New York
- Navigate to the location
A Closer Look at the Work
The light installation ACHTUNG ÄCHTUNG, The light from the chimney of the boiler house on the Union-Gelände hill has been specially designed by Aigner for the Ardi Goldman Art and Culture Foundation. From the top of the tower, the inscription "ACHTUNG" runs vertically down. A pulsating illumination of two otherwise invisible points that make "ACHTUNG", six times in succession for five seconds each, become "ACHTUNG", and after 30 seconds, the word "ACHTUNG" is read again, leading to irritation.
Aigner, for whom respect is the foundation of everything, whether self-respect, respect for others, human rights, or in the sense of caution, shows how quickly that can turn into condemnation. A condemnation that is all the more confirmed by the historical review and the current situation since October 7, 2023. And just as the installation visualizes the small and large difference between respect and condemnation, it is intended as a warning signal with the aim of raising awareness.
About the Artist
The artist and campaign developer Gregor Aigner (*1964 in Backnang) has lived in Frankfurt am Main since 1970. His work is characterized by its clever and subversive artistic messages, which are presented in an art and gallery space developed specifically for this purpose by him. Irritate the modern Aigner’s art, which seeks out the urban space because it needs it, lives within it. Here she negotiates the great humanistic themes, whether love declarations, critiques of capitalism, German historiography, vandalism, or violent assaults. Aigner illuminates and highlights socially significant developments through minimal interventions, often resulting in changes in urban landscapes.
Being courageous and having courage are fundamental forces in his work, as he already demonstrated in 1999 in ideas for the brave He expressed his indignation. To draw attention to the demolition of a residential building from 1820 in the inner city of Frankfurt, he sprayed „cultural emptiness“ on a remaining section of wall, for which the neighbors reported him and the police arrested him.
Photos: © Stefan Gröpper Photography
Ardi Goldman Kunst-
und Kulturstiftung gGmbH
Uniongelände
Hanauer Landstraße 188, 60314 Frankfurt am Main