Lena Bröcker’s art intervention brings islands of recyclable materials into the public eye: under the title “Neue Werte” (“New Values”), 40 containers for collecting glass, metal and plastic have been placed in a star shape around the obelisk on the lawns of Karolinenplatz. Ten bins are placed along each of the four paths in a symmetrical arrangement, and therefore are easy to reach and fill. Residents are expressly invited to use the containers for their intended purpose of waste disposal.
A ubiquitous object in the cityscape is condensed into a temporary monument by this new arrangement in a prominent location. The collection point for recyclable, frequently occurring residual waste, usually hidden under trees and euphemistically referred to as the ‘recycling island’, is thus upgraded. At the same time, the huge amount of waste produced in this city every day is brought to the fore and put on display. The obelisk, with its cladding of ‘recycled’ bronze plates from Turkish warships, forms the ideal centre of the installation.
Lena Bröcker, born in 1972 in Kiel, lives and works in Munich.
