A directional totem pole?

And, before you know it, you have a concrete project to start with. But I get ahead of myself again.

I recently shared my enthusiasm for restarting my creative endeavours at the Mohr-Villa, located a short distance from where I live now. And, in celebration of the equinox as well as another year of creative work, the centre hosted their annual festival of music, art and personal encounters.

As everyone hoped, the weather was fine and many new and old friends gathered to enjoy the afternoon together. I also made my way into the shady garden after first visiting the extensive art exhibition.

Unexpectedly, I found myself under a tall tree, with a curtain of hanging leaves surrounding a surprisingly large open area. A friendly woman and her young daughter had built up a platform of wooden pallets and stuck pieces of wood topped with colourfully painted plastic pots between the slats. I was intrigued and had to find out what the point of the outdoor contraption was.

Munich is growing fast, building new housing quarters on open pieces of land wherever the city can find space. One such quarter is being established a couple of kilometers from the Mohr-Villa and although I’d seen the construction work, I never took the time to find out what exactly is happening there. While I still am not much wiser, what I do know is that the Villa wants to contribute to the new community culture by making residents aware of its location and offers.

And so the idea came into being of a signpost that can be placed in the new community’s central square that ‘points’ to the Mohr-Villa. Immediately, as one could expect, my creative brain became active and I couldn’t help but think of a totem pole. They are so much fun and can be built by several people at the same time. In addition, they could be interactive or include multiple media types, as long as it’s weather proof. After a short exchange I realised that I now have a concrete art project that I can start with. There’s no turning back now; the only open question is how I can share it with others and get it off the ground (and onto the platform!).

Public spaces with public art are are, in my view, wonderful enrichments to city life. As soon as there is more progress to my project, I will share it with you here. How fun!