Switching Views: Rebecca Horn and the Hat Aigrette from the Agate Garniture
It is difficult to think of a place that would be better suited to presenting Rebecca Horn鈥檚 (b. 1944) 鈥淪ilver Crane鈥� than Dresden鈥檚 treasury at the Gr眉nes Gew枚lbe, where the precious collection objects of the Saxon court continue to amaze visitors. With its slowly unfolding circle of feathers which then disappear again, 鈥淪ilver Crane鈥� is a contemporary artwork performing a mysterious ritual in its display of splendour.
The fact that the crane feathers are mounted on aluminium rods and are moved by precise mechanical action does not detract from the work鈥檚 poetic effect. This is characteristic of Horn鈥檚 kinetic sculptures, whose mechanical nature always remains visible.
In the Sponsel room at the Neues Gr眉nes Gew枚lbe, the work is juxtaposed with a historical hat ornament from the treasury of Augustus the Strong, which very similarly revolves around the feather as a symbol of embellishment and elegance. In its upward projection, the piece of jewellery from the Baroque period, featuring exquisitely arranged natural feathers and contrasting feathers in gold and diamonds, is both exceptionally delicate and decorative. In ceremonies, it was the prerogative of the ruler to keep his hat on, and the precious hat ornament in a sense replaced the crown. This is expressive of a phenomenon that speaks equally through both works: the aesthetic self-presentation that is inherent in nearly all forms of life鈥攆rom the courtship dances of birds that so clearly come to mind here to the blossoming of plants to the precious objects produced by human cultures. What seems at first glance to be an expression of pure beauty, an end in itself, becomes upon re-examination inseparable from forms of representation for the purpose of demonstrating power.
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It is difficult to think of a place that would be better suited to presenting Rebecca Horn鈥檚 (b. 1944) 鈥淪ilver Crane鈥� than Dresden鈥檚 treasury at the Gr眉nes Gew枚lbe, where the precious collection objects of the Saxon court continue to amaze visitors. With its slowly unfolding circle of feathers which then disappear again, 鈥淪ilver Crane鈥� is a contemporary artwork performing a mysterious ritual in its display of splendour.
The fact that the crane feathers are mounted on aluminium rods and are moved by precise mechanical action does not detract from the work鈥檚 poetic effect. This is characteristic of Horn鈥檚 kinetic sculptures, whose mechanical nature always remains visible.
In the Sponsel room at the Neues Gr眉nes Gew枚lbe, the work is juxtaposed with a historical hat ornament from the treasury of Augustus the Strong, which very similarly revolves around the feather as a symbol of embellishment and elegance. In its upward projection, the piece of jewellery from the Baroque period, featuring exquisitely arranged natural feathers and contrasting feathers in gold and diamonds, is both exceptionally delicate and decorative. In ceremonies, it was the prerogative of the ruler to keep his hat on, and the precious hat ornament in a sense replaced the crown. This is expressive of a phenomenon that speaks equally through both works: the aesthetic self-presentation that is inherent in nearly all forms of life鈥攆rom the courtship dances of birds that so clearly come to mind here to the blossoming of plants to the precious objects produced by human cultures. What seems at first glance to be an expression of pure beauty, an end in itself, becomes upon re-examination inseparable from forms of representation for the purpose of demonstrating power.
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