Pawel Althamer

For skulptur projekte münster 07 Pawel Althamer created a path through a field of barley. Around one kilometre long, the beaten track led from the bank of the Aasee into the countryside outside of town, passing roads, woods and streams. There were no signposts indicating the path’s course or end, its destination or distances. Visitors followed the narrow track until it suddenly tapered off somewhere in the middle of a field. Since the path’s visibility altered depending on weather, season, and usage, the demands made on the visitors’ sense of orientation varied. Althamer integrated the possibility of deviating from the prescribed course into his concept after observing on several visits to Münster how strictly pedestrians and cyclists keep to prescribed routes. Hence, violating the municipal regulatory system was by all means intended as a challenge to stray from Münster’s official paths and roads and cut across country. Althamer emphasised this idea by asking members of staff from Münster prison to trample the path.

Sarah Kristin Happersberger