Tadashi Kawamata

Tadashi Kawamata’s contribution to Skulptur. Projekte in Münster 1997 was closely related to a project he had previously executed in 1996 under the title Working Progress. As part of the project and under the auspices of the Mondriaan Foundation, patients from the Brijder Clinic for addiction and rehabilitation in Alkmaar and residents of the city jointly built a boat, a jetty, small pavilions, wooden walkways and a pedestrian bridge, all located in the vicinity of the clinic on the outskirts of the Dutch city. The actions and in particular a joint boat trip brought the patients and the city residents together. The shared physical work, leisure activities and exchange of views were intended to foster closer relations and allay prejudices.¹

Kawamata launched the participatory project in Münster in a somewhat modified form with the help of staff and patients from Alkmaar. Here, they constructed a walkway running parallel to the Aasee, a platform joined to the Aasee terraces south of Adenauerallee and a jetty at the southwestern end of the Aasee. In addition, the artist commissioned a boat to be built in Alkmaar which for the duration of Skulptur Projekte was kept on the Aasee and provided transport linking up the various sites of the work. By taking a trip on the boat interested exhibition visitors were able to gather information and impressions of the social situation and conditions in Alkmaar.

Daniel Friedt

¹ Ronald van Tienhoven, “Tadashi Kawamata: Working Progress”, in: Klaus Bußmann, Kasper König and Florian Matzner (eds.), Skulptur. Projekte in Münster 1997, exhib. cat. Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Münster, Ostfildern-Ruit, 1997, pp. 241–242.