This is the artist´s first written concept for a work, which is later to be subsumed under the generative project-title BIG BACTERIA, reaching its culmination with the media performance INVINCIBLE, at the Colosseum in Rome, in 2015.
Summary
In Sabine Kacunko’s projection “POLART: Patina,” the silent process of the continuous transformation of all matter is momentarily brought ”into the light”: A sample of the patina from the Parliament building is removed, magnified under a microscope, and projected back onto the building’s entire façade using two projectors. The result is a light sculpture that transforms the viewer’s perception of the building and the surrounding space. The installation’s staged self-referentiality reflects the complex interplay of past, present, and future, visualizing their infinite interdependence and creating a poetic space of great visual appeal.
Explanation
Patina is the outer layer adhering to buildings and objects, signaling that they have been exposed to (external) environmental influences. It is the layer where the building’s surface interacts with air, water, and the chemical and organic substances dissolved within them. It is unique—like a fingerprint of the building to which it adheres. It can provide information about building materials as well as wind conditions and air quality. Like tree rings, it reveals details about the time and duration of its formation. It is a document (of time) that often goes unnoticed. Patina consists of microorganisms that, during this ongoing process of transformation, produce elements such as color pigments. In Sabine Kacunko’s work, these microorganisms become witnesses to time. When magnified and projected, the patina transforms the appearance of the parliament building: the patina itself—the surface of the façade—becomes a screen upon which the (extremely slow-moving and vastly magnified) images settle. A unique, vibrant light emerges, composed of red, green, deep black, and dazzlingly bright speckles and patches that drape themselves like a second skin over the parliament’s clear, austere architecture. Through the projection, the building’s façade appears as an organic, living skin that conveys information and offers a poetic glimpse into the complex interplay of past, present, and future.
In POLART – PATINA, Sabine Kacunko employs a microscope and a digital camera to temporarily alter the relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm. She creates interfaces between the real and digital worlds, making visible what is otherwise imperceptible to the naked eye. Its striking visual appeal makes it particularly well-suited for a public art installation; both the initial visual impression and the deeper exploration of the scientific and artistic contexts invite viewers to pause, linger, reflect, and engage in discussion. The installation is defined by a fundamental polarity: the tension between a rigorous, rational concept and immense aesthetic power.
Greece—and Athens in particular—is characterized by the visual juxtaposition of remnants from various millennia. Whether in the course of rigorous scientific research or artistic engagement, the connection to the past and the layering of “eras” remain omnipresent. A project like Sabine Kacunko’s, which focuses specifically on the microcosm of patina, requires a location defined by the equal relevance of history and the present.
Through a creative exploration of the allegedly „familiar“, the artistic process gives rise to an extraordinary installation at a historic site—one that opens up new realms of public and individual attention. By transcending routine modes of perception, these altered perspectives foster a vivid realization of the subject matter. The projection of the patina temporarily places the Parliament building at the center of public interest, simultaneously bringing its function and symbolic context—Greek democracy, architecture, and culture—into sharp focus. With POLART – PATINA, Kacunko exemplifies a way of relating to oneself by uncovering and embracing the unknown within the familiar. In doing so, she establishes a model for a reflective, contemporary approach to history.
POLART – PATINA creates a light-art installation in the public realm that enhances the area’s appeal while increasing the duration and quality of visitors’ stays. It establishes a temporary meeting point that invites dialogue—whether artistic, cultural, historical, philosophical, scientific, technical, local, international, or simply human.
Technical Setup
Two stacks of black containers—each consisting of two units—will be set up in the square in front of the Parliament building. A large tarpaulin will be stretched over the four containers with a gap between it and the units to prevent heat buildup during the day. The containers will serve simultaneously as an information center, a discussion platform, and additional exhibition space.
The ground-level containers will house microscopes, monitors, and photographic, film, and scientific documentation. Among other things, they will display documentation of the light performance in the form of video recordings and photographs. A projector will be installed in each of the two upper containers, with the two units connected by a transmission cable. They will project live images from a special camera—connected to one of the projectors—onto the Parliament’s façade.
Supporting Program
The project will be accompanied by interdisciplinary forums taking place both in Athens and in the virtual space of the Internet. The forums will be facilitated by Prof. Antonia Moropoulou from the University of Athens and Prof. Krumbein from the University of Oldenburg. Both academics will ensure scientific oversight and integration into university-level educational contexts.
Publication and Documentation
To make the extraordinary moment of this temporary installation accessible to a broad audience, extensive media coverage and publications are planned for both the run-up to and the duration of the presentation. A unique feature of the POLART – PATINA installation is the complex interplay of conceptual ideas, aesthetic precision, and symbolic significance at the chosen location and during this (historic) moment (including the 2004 Olympic Games). The artistic content, the depth of the interdisciplinary dialogue, and the new international cooperation generate numerous opportunities for international visibility, critical discussion, and documentation, ensuring that a new quality becomes embedded in the public consciousness well beyond the project period.
