Glühen, 2020
C-print, sand lime bricks, aluminum, glass
Frame 114 x 80 x 4 cm, display case 140 x 75 x 43 cm
The heat treatment of metallic materials is described as “annealing.” This process can be used to create specific material qualities. In the photographic work with the same title, Stefan Alber shows the view from a green thicket onto an expanding urban cityscape. Construction cranes indicate growth and rapid change and give an idea of the transience of this view. Separated by a crumbling wall, the path out of nature seems to be only a few meters away from the city. When will the bulldozers tear down this wall?
A special detail in the image creates a link to the arrangement in a display case. The weathered building blocks are playfully arranged to form an archetypal model and appear to have been taken from the site; at least, comparable bricks can be seen in front of the wall in the photo. Organic residues such as moss and cobwebs on the elements refer to a past natural shelter, which is now preserved for viewers.
