Bonifer I am the hieroglyph that stands beneath creation, 2025

In Bonifer’s work, word and image complement each other – the written word is the starting point and becomes a poetic sign that becomes visible, readable, and physically perceptible in space. This connection is particularly frequent in relation to architecture, for example in the building itself, as shown in the Union-Gelände. For Bonifer, there are parallels between the structure of a building and language; both are „language buildings“ composed of signs, rhythm, and order.

Within the framework of the current art project, Bonifer also addressed the architectural appearance of the building: the rhythm of the windows and walls, the clear vertical and horizontal divisions, and the external materiality that recalls industrial buildings, form the basis of the typography of his inscription. The formal clarity of the building is reflected in it – it appears reduced and austere, its design recalls ancient Semitic scripts. It refers to those early script cultures in which language was understood as a sacred world of symbols: the ancient Egyptians spoke of Medu Netscher („God’s words“), the Greeks called them hieroglyphs, sacred symbols.

The verse: „>I< is the hieroglyph that stands beneath creation“ is guided horizontally and legibly through the masonry. It stands symbolically for the fundamental idea of Bonif’s work and refers to two central ideas of the Kabbala, the mystical Jewish tradition that continues to inspire artistic and spiritual currents to this day. On the one hand, it refers to the idea that all creation emerges from the word, the Ur-Lauten. On the other hand, it refers to the idea that man stands at the center of the cosmos – as the bearer of a mysterious, creative self that is meant to become aware of its destiny.

Bonifer does not see language merely as a means of communication, but as an original form of intelligence. Every thought is born, consciously or unconsciously, from the womb of language.

The verse on the building is therefore not just a poetic commentary, but an invitation for humanity—standing between the „upper and lower worlds“—to become aware of their spiritual responsibility. It is a call to inner orientation, to the courage to stand up against blind ideologies and seductive promises of power, and to follow instead the voice within.

Because: What else could help us emerge from the shadow of false servility and continued crimes, if not the decision to adopt a spiritual attitude of heart and mind?