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Andreas Hetfeld receives the jury award of the OSTRALE’09
Andreas Hetfeld was honoured with the jury award of the OSTRALE’09 for his installation “Raum der Sehnsucht”. Born in Reutlingen and living in Nijmegen (Netherlands), Hetfeld creates 30 boats with old aluminium gutters, which where on the area of the OSTRALE. These boats were between 2.50 and 3.40 meter long. Like a swarm hang these on nylon strings, poorly illuminated in the big attic of the Direktorenvilla.
As the award-winner of the last year, Andreas Hetfeld is also a member of the jury of the OSTRALE’010 now. Anne Müller spoke with the artist about the award, his work and the OSTRALE.
You were awarded with the jury prize of the OSTRALE’09 for your work “Raum der Sehnsucht”. Do you feel honoured?
I am very glad about this appreciation, which shows me, how important
it is to follow my heart. This led me to Dresden and to “Raum der
Sehnsucht”.
How would you describe the relation between the idea of your installation and the existing space, the attic of the Direktorenvilla?
A space installation fulfils a kind of transformation in different levels. In the case of “Raum der Sehnsucht” with the attic of the Direktorenvilla it was possible to create an atmosphere, which has something magic. Space and work flew together and build a whole.
The work grew slowly over the months. The history and the architecture of a space like this are very present and it is impossible to render innocuous, when you don’t want to destroy it forever. That means you have to work with it together, have an open dialog and hear, what it tells you. The meaning and the force of expression of an installation is for me in the pre- stadium of work decided.
The viewers can this percept with all senses, if the installation succeeds.
Is the examination with the basic questions of human and social a characteristic aspect of your work?
Yes, this is the gist of my work, which always deals with the basic questions and themes of the human being. The social component comes obvious more to the fore at the “Nest”-projects, in which the social network is the fundament of a mutual process of creating.
On what project do you work currently?
For example a sun tree, that is a 12 meter high, kinetic sculpture. It will be a symbol of the city Nijmengen /NL, where nature and technique are connected with each other. Natural shape elements and newest developments in the range of solar energy will be linked with each other and lead to the future. This is a big challenge, on that I work for nearly two years and which assumes more and more shape.
You take part in the artists camp of the OSTRALE the second time. Which influence had this intensive time and the exchange with international artist on your work?
This had a very big impact on my work, as the award reveals. The OSTRALE affords in a very personal but also professional atmosphere space for experiment, development and dialog. It creates something that a lot of institutions of arts can’t: a real cooperation.
What do you want for the OSTRALE?
Stamina, the belief in the matter and a city Dresden, that knows the worth of this rough diamond and supports it. The worth, which reach out of the frontiers of the city with a cultural major project, that has a lot of potential.
Andreas Hetfeld
Born in Reutlingen (GER). After an apprenticeship as precision engineer and technical secondary school (1984-89) Studies of art therapy at the University of Arnhem-Nijmegen (NL) (1990-94). Afterwards studies at the Hogeschool vor de kunsten in Arnhem (1995-96). 1998 Artist in Residence in ArToll Labor, Bedburg-Hau (GER). 2001 he gets the Geldener Turmstipendium of the city Geldern (GER). Since 1995 numerous single and group exhibitions in Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Breda, Belgien, Emmerich, Cologne, Kassel, Doornenburg, Tilburg, Perm (RUS), Wageningen, Antwerpen, Moskau, Dresden und Maastricht. Andreas Hetfeld lives and works since 1990 in Nijmegen (NL).