Knut Henrik Henriksen
Auf der Walz
10. Juli – 6. September 2015

Lichthaus Arnsberg presents the solo exhibition "Auf der Walz" by the Norwegian artist Knut Henrik Henriksen.

The exhibition "Auf der Walz" develops from Henriksen's interest in the interface between sculpture and architecture. In Arnsberg, the specific occasion was the similarity in construction features between the historic half-timbered houses and the modern light house: Do these houses play a role today and do they characterise the city? Is architecture a feature of the town and does it develop an urban identity? Where does the romantic and kitschy begin? What has been lost along the way?

During his visit to Arnsberg, Henriksen noticed numerous architectural details, which he analysed and incorporated sculpturally in his exhibition. For example, he found correspondences of the profile of the Lichthaus architecture in a "half-timbered drawing" of the neighbouring historical building. Henriksen examines the found symbolism and discovers details and signs that have their own, often hidden, logic: Gables, corners, intersections and, above all, connecting elements and joints were celebrated in old times in half-timbered construction, thereby celebrating life and the connections of life. These important rituals are no longer recognised in modern architecture. Only the topping-out ceremony and the laying of the foundation stone remain.

At the centre of Henriksen's exhibition is a Wild Man. With outstretched arms and spread legs, Henriksen offers the light house a new, powerful landlord. In half-timbered architecture, "Wild Men" are the vertically crossing wooden beams that we recognise from the façades of old buildings. The Wild Man has a load-bearing/static and connecting function, but also a decorative and spiritual one. This timber framing became a popular building element because, according to folklore, it has powers to ward off evil.

The monumental "Wild Man" by Henriksen, 3.50 metres high, plays with such legends and the historical architecture of Wedinghausen Monastery, while at the same time parodying the contemporary use of it. The seemingly solid wooden beams, which only look like wood on the surface, are actually made of foam. They are often used in the furnishings of pubs and bars as an inexpensive material to create the desired romantic "architectural atmosphere". The artificial beams as an invention of pseudo-historical interior design become the basis of a discussion that thematises the contemporary treatment of historical heritage.