Civilization
Updated: 11-05-00
The Sculpture is created with inspiration from UN and OMEPīs logo at the opening of the jubelee konference in Copenhagen, August 98ī.
Civilization
Artist: JENS GALSCHIOT
I was asked by OMEP DK if I would like to make a Sculpture in relation to OMEPīs 50 years of existance. I took my starting point in the logo of the OMEP. The Sculpture is created as a symbol of the activities of OMEP.
During the last couple of years I have had a comprehensive co-operation with the NGOīs realizing my happenings of art. My co-operation with OMEP is a natural result of this.
I would very much like to support the efforts of OMEP trying to improve the conditions of life of all children on our earth to coming generations of the world. It makagreat impression that grass-root of completely different cultures are able working together on this important task. This will create a breeding ground of a wider consciousness of our common responsibility of the social and economic balance of our Earth. The effort of OMEP hamonizes completely with the ideals, which are the motive power behind my happenings of art. I therefor have made my workshop, the working capacity of my own, my colleagues free of charge to produce the Sculpture.
OMEP uses the Sculpture for its conference in Falkoner Centret, partly as decoration and partly promoting the conference. After this the Sculpture, which is the owners property, is brought back to the workshop in Odense.
"Civilization" is a big Globe of copper, measuring 180 cm. The Globe stands on a slim plinth of steel-axle, which makes the Globe look like a planet flying freely around in space. On the surface of the planet different characters are engraved. A great number of alphabets, systems of numbers and languages is represented. All of the surface looks like a mosaic of signs. Single words, sentences and formulars will be understandable.
Characters are engraved in the Globe and after this procedure the Globe will be covered with a thick galvanic coat of copper. All of the Globe will have a rootgrown organic surface - just like a non-earthly object coming directly from out of space.or from our common pre-historic times. The galvanic surface of copper makes the impress that many of the characters seems like traces in the organic surface patinated black and polished looking like a shining surface of metal.
Symbolic
The symbolic of the Sculpture may be interpreted in an unknown number of ways depending on the conditions of each observer.
Here a number of possible interpretations:
The round form symbolizes the Earth as a gathered planet.
The organic surface of the Globe symbolizes the Earth as a living organism.
The mounting on the slim steel-stick partly symbolizes the weightlessness of the earth and partly its fragility, the continuing existance of the Globe is dependent of the balance on the steel-stick.
The languages, the Alphabets and the figures are symbols of culturel knowledge learning the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of human being. The dimming of the languages, the mathematic and geometric formulars as blurred traces in the surface symbolizes the hidden wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are only dedicated to persons willing to invest some time in this, and even then greate parts of all knowledge around the world will not be revealed to you. The Sculpture is a symbol of the civilisation on Earth.
Techical Description
Materials: The Sculpture is made as an outdoor Sculpture able to resist wind and bad weather. It is build on a construction made of brightless steel, which carries all of the Globe. The Globe itself is built of fibre glass coated with a surface in which the indications are engraved. After this procedure all the construction is covered eletrolytic with copper.
Weight: About 400 kg.
Art of water:
Through a few changes the Sculpture can be turned into an art of water, where the water spreads in a water-film all over the coating of the Globe, which makes it look as if it keeps the water firm.
Price:
Agreement of price can be made, should anybody be interested in buing or showing the Sculpture, this can be arranged through the Artist, Jens Galschiot.
The Initiator
Of the happening is the Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot, born 1954. He is married with three children. He has exhibited in Denmark, Greenland, Germany, England, France, Italy, Spain and China. In recent years, he has had an increasing interest for happenings as an art form.
A Sculptural Outcry
A Pillar of Shame was set up in Hong Kong on 4th June 1997. This
event marked the initiation of an art happening that will spread over the Planet over the next ten years. Once a year, a Pillar of Shame will be mounted as a memorial of a severe infringement against humanity. The Pillar which is an original dark sculpture eight metres in height depicting more than 50 painfully twisted human bodies.The Pillar of Shame is a kind of Nobel Prize of Injustice.
My Inner beast
The biggest art happening in Europe - So the press titled My Inner Beast, carried out by Galschiot in '93. In twenty big cities a sculpture of a pig in human clothes was set up without the knowledge of the authorities as a symbol of the increasing racism.
Focus on Double Standards
Galschiot has often been accredited as an NGO on international conferences, e.g. on UN's social summit in Copenhagen. On this occasion he carried out the happening The Silent Death with the aim of highlighting the double standards of the rich world. We're solemnly proclaiming the inviolability of the right to life, but at the same time we accept a global imbalance with thousands of children as victims each year.
750 figures of children (a total of 15 tons) were fettered to benches, lamp posts etc. all over the City. In addition 13,000,000 certificates, one for each child doomed to die of hunger and lack of medicine in 1995, were distributed.
Jens Galschiot , Banevaenget 22, 5270 Odense N ,Denmark. ( aidoh@aidoh
)