AXA Art Prize „Schwimmende Lichtobjekte“

Five glass cubes are being installed in the northwest of the waterside area at AXA's headquarters in Cologne Holweide. The arrangement of the five identical cubes on the water's surface replicates a pattern found
in the surrounding architecture.
The glass bodies are open at the bottom, stand on a steel frame, and protrude squarely above the water surface. An artificially generated vacuum allows the water in the cubes to remain above the water surface. This enables fish to swim in and out of the cubes.
After dark, the cubes are illuminated from below by lights hidden in the frames. The glass directs the light to the edges and the outlines of the glass bodies glow. Since it is brighter in the cubes than in the rest of the water facility, the animals are attracted day and night. This allows the fish to look at the people in the offices and the people in the offices to look at the fish.

Text and images:
David Hahlbrock
Anselm Bauer

The work won first prize in the AXA Art Prize „Schwimmende Lichtobjekte“