Current of Synchrony was created as an artistic proposal for a public art commision placed in front of a new district court building in Norrköping, Sweden. This sketch assignment was appointed and financed by Statens Konstråd (Public Art Agency Sweden) as a part of a public competition.
This proposal was not selected as a winner therefore exists only in its digital form.
The artwork´s conceptual background is inspired by two fundamental physical and metaphorical contexts, which also mark the points of connection to the curatorial vision. The first entails the meaning and representational values of the court, the laws, and the rules, as well as its relation to individuals in particular and to a democratic society in general. As implied in the curatorial vision, the court as an institution stands for order and stability and provides justice and jurisdictions where life takes unexpected turns and individual paths collide in diverse disputes or other legal cases. Its presence not only means societal order but also allows a stable coexistence. These essential characteristics and the notions that can be linked to the institution, such as stability, equality, fairness, impartiality, freedom, diversity, and the order-disorder balance influenced the creative process.
The second context is the geographical composition of Norrköping city and the significance of the Motala stream to the city’s development and history. The contrast between the strictly drawn architectural grid of the city, the borders created by Norrköping’s promenades, and the naturally curving flow of the river create a fascinating equilibrium between organic and regular, geometric and artificial forms. The interconnectedness and coexistence of these dichotomies are dominant and present in the installation both formally and conceptually. An essential aspect of the piece is the shape and meaning of the water body and its symbolic connection to balance, movement, and power, but also existence/life in general.
Following the above-mentioned points, the formal appearance of the artwork is very dynamic, it is a floating body consisting of 64 elements of various shapes and sizes. The overall rhythm and shape of the installation are inspired by the Motala River, precisely outlining the river bends from the above view. The wave movement is visible from different angles and it is designed to open up towards the entrance of the building. The various sizes and angles of the elements reflect the different purposes, destinies, or even diversity of people, the manifold ways of life, the set of laws, and numerous rules. It’s a work of harmony and dynamism – repetitive and diverse parts (inspired by buildings’ facades) come together following one movement and waving forward. It also symbolises how the water collides with the river bank or various obstacles on the way but the stream continues, as life continues despite the rising challenges. Thus the installation interacts with the wall on which is installed by breaking its monotonous grey and barrier-like profile, like two conflicting but correlated entities. A harmonious tension is created in this way that emanates a welcoming and soothing atmosphere.
The artwork will be produced from Corten-steel (weathering steel). The material choice is deeply connected to the conceptual background of the work, by representing stability and endurance, which is open to diversity, and dynamism, but carries the same values despite external forces. Just as the material itself, the form stays solid while the surface rusts, shades, and adapts depending on the weather, air, and humidity conditions. It ages to different colours over a long period, from fresh, newly developed orange-brown, to light and eventually dark brown. The colour-transformation ability reflects upon the path of life, the unpredictable turns, and how society evolves and changes over time without losing the core values and leading principles.
ELISKA KOVACIKOVA 