Raul Walch
Azimut
8. April – 19. Juni 2016

Artist talk on Sunday, 10 April, 11 a.m. at Kunstverein Arnsberg + performance afterwards

After numerous projects in Addis Ababa, Lampedusa and Fukushima, Raul Walch travelled to Greece to prepare for his exhibition at Lichthaus Arnsberg. His examination of the realities on the island of Lesbos and in Idomeni became the starting point for the exhibition. Encounters and conversations on site, especially with refugee children, led to the development of the "Azimuths".

The word azimuth comes from Arabic and can be translated as "the paths". In astronomy, it refers to the angle between the meridian plane and the vertical plane that defines the height of a celestial body. Whether as a path, an arc or a bridge, the azimuth in the exhibition describes a connection.

During two trips to Greece, Walch developed and tested a series of "Rescue Kites" in workshops. His rescue kites are a kind of flying lighthouse and can be used as sun reflectors for orientation, as coastguard markers and for locating and rescuing shipwrecked people. These rescue kites were realised with refugees on their way to Germany, among others. The materials used come from the camps and their surroundings: the PVC of the boats, the tent poles, the tent fabrics and the reflectors of the life jackets. The "Azimuts" were able to fly with the wind over the border fences and barbed wire and thus become a symbol of freedom.

In Arnsberg, the kites will fly again during a performance at the opening weekend. They will be exhibited in the Lichthaus Arnsberg in an installation that incorporates light and wind. The shapes and painterly patterns of the kites correspond to the visual language that Walch has also developed for his flags and kinetic sculptures. The playful, colourful azimuths contrast the gruesome reality in which they were created. They are also synonymous with hope and the will to overcome it.

The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with the Cultural Office of the City of Arnsberg.