You’ve almost certainly heard the expression, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” In the case of Berlin-based visual artist Henry Baumann, what one person discards can become an art installation that appeals to more than just your eyes. In his latest work, Baumann used abandoned material he found at a building site (his usual foraging ground) to create audiovisual sculptures that invite you to touch it, climb into it, to speak and listen from inside it, becoming a catalyst for discussion, connection and exchange.
These elements shift based on the artist’s choice of shape. Baumann has built sculptural forms reminiscent of sea shells, croissants, and strangely organic tubes and tunnels. The emphasis is not only on the aesthetic allure and the involvement of your senses to truly experience the work, it is also a masterful reminder that there is beauty to behold and uncover in what others have renounced. It is a sublime kind of recycling, and allows us to envision the transformation of ordinary things into extraordinary pieces for reflection and admiration.