Award ceremony at the 10th International Wind Art Festival "bewegter wind" in Hofgeismar and Liebenau 

Walking in the footsteps of art

Forty-five art objects which, in interaction with the wind, create new perspectives on the landscape - and at the same time stimulate further thinking around the theme of "Change?!" - change: The 10th International Wind Art Competition "bewegter wind" has attracted several thousand art and nature lovers from near and far to Hofgeismar and Liebenau. On Sunday, 29 August 2021, the popular outdoor festival came to an end with the award ceremony for five outstanding works of art. In addition to wind art installations, nine videos and performances were shown. At the end of the successful art festival, curator Reta Reinl drew a positive conclusion: "For two weeks, forty-five artists* from all over the world showed their works on the Kramberg and in the Diemel Valley and thus initiated an exciting dialogue on climate change. We are very happy about the great response - not only from visitors, but also from participating artists and all supporters. We would like to express our sincere thanks for this."

  • Kunst, die bewegt!

    Award ceremony with the artists (from left): Christine Kruse (2nd place), Jürgen Heinz (1st place, shared), Constanze Schüttoff (3rd place) Reta Reinl (curator of bewegter wind), Harald Kühlborn (District of Kassel), Harald Munser (Mayor of Liebenau), Torben Busee (Mayor of Hofgeismar).
    Photo source: Winfried Junker-Schönfelder
  • Numerous visitors at the moving wind 2021, here in front of the work "Resonanz" by Franziska Möbius
    . Photo source: kisa. Kirsten Sauer
  • 1st prize (shared) for "Moving Square" by Jürgen Heinz.
    Photo source: kisa. Kirsten Sauer
  • 1st prize (shared) for "Moving border" by Kuesti Fraun.
    Image source: Videostill
  • 2. Preis für „2/ VAR 1/9" von Christine Kruse.
    Bildquelle: Gabriele Nippel
  • 3rd prize for "tabula rasa I in wandlungsfreiheit" by Constanze Schüttoff.
    Photo source: kisa. Kirsten Sauer
  • Special prize for "Floating Alive" by Jiefu Zhou.
    Image source: Reta Reinl
  • Special mention for "Prayer" by Dina Hillebrand.
    Image source: Heidi Etzbach
  • Special mention for "Nine Names" by Markéta Váradiová.
    Image source: Wilburg Kleff
  • Special mention for "For Us All" by Geraldo Zamproni.
    Image Source: Wilburg Kleff
  • Prize jury (flnr) Reta Reinl, Julja Schneider, Ines Braun, Kerstin Fröhlich
    Photo source: Britta Hartmann-Barth

Art in the Reinhardswald and Diemeltal Nature Park

The mayor of Hofgeismar, Torben Busse, was also thrilled to be able to discover the Kramberg from unusual perspectives: "Our citizens and guests know and appreciate our wonderful natural landscape very much - and yet the staging through art objects provided completely surprising and interesting experiences. Many have combined the visit with an extended walk or a picnic and some have come back several times. We are pleased that the moving wind at the Hofgeismar site was successful and will keep the experiences in good memory for a long time!"

Harald Munser, Mayor of Liebenau, was also very pleased. He said, "In times of pandemic, the exhibition made it possible to enjoy art in the fresh air - and around the clock for a full two weeks. Our Diemeltal was a crowd puller and was rediscovered by many visitors. For this we say a heartfelt thank you!"

Harald Kühlborn, cultural officer of the district of Kassel, is pleased that the Moving Wind has now been held so often in the district of Kassel. He emphasised that the district of Kassel wants to continue to support and promote the Wind Art Festival with its unique combination of art, wind and landscape.

Jury awarded four main prizes and one special prize

Unconventional perspectives, surprising ideas and artistic skill: Given the high quality of the exhibited works, the selection was not easy for the three-member jury. In the jury's statement it says: "All the participating artists are winners and deserved a prize. In making our selection, we therefore concentrated on clear parameters, such as how the work plays with the theme of Change! and at the same time remains open enough to sustainably change familiar perspectives. Because change happens in the head, but only if the heart is also addressed!" The jury included Cologne-based artists Ines Braun and Julja Schneider and art scholar Kerstin Fröhlich from Hofgeismar.

Prize jury:

Ines Braun, artist, designer
Julja Schneider, artist
Kerstin Fröhlich, art historian M.A.

1st place, shared: Jürgen Heinz - "Moving Square"

The work of the Kassel metal sculptor Jürgen Heinz shows two congruent frames that shift against each other at the slightest breeze. Thus they show a section of reality - but only apparently. They could also be two pictures - and thus two realities. One begins to question one's own perception. A seemingly fixed view of the world is quickly shaken - space is created for "Change!?", change. With the first place, Jürgen Heinz receives prize money of 2,000 euros.

First place, shared: Kuesti Fraun - "Moving border".

It is the seemingly insignificant but fascinating dance of a piece of barrier tape that has been torn loose: in his video, the Düsseldorf producer and filmmaker Kuesti Fraun tells of borders and their dissolution in a pictorial-sculptural way. The video shows a small piece of barrier tape - a symbol of a border - that is propelled by the wind and thus changes its appearance again and again. It snakes, takes shape, collapses and is trampled underfoot. The video conveys a feeling of powerlessness, but at the same time fascination. It is a piece of plastic waste that makes a political reference to the self-inflicted (climate) change over whose effects control has been lost. Second place is endowed with 2,000 euros.

2nd place: Christine Kruse - 2/ VAR 1/9

At once irritating and fascinating, Christine Kruse's object exhibited on the banks of the Diemel River appears at first glance to be a signboard. But with every step you take in front of it, the words printed on it overlap. In this way, the Hamburg artist represents change by means of language - and just as vividly as language itself: Words like "cyberhaft" or "social error" get caught in the mind and create references between the old and the new, which in their openness to combination encourage us to think further.

3rd place: Constanze Schüttoff - "tabula rasa I in wandlungsfreiheit".

How do I make my way? On the Kramberg, large white sheets of paper hung down between the trees, which visitors could move freely like curtains to playfully create ever new paths and possibilities. A work with a highly challenging character, for which the freelance artist Constanze Schüttoff from Radebeul received the third prize. The visitors' walking through the work changed it and awakened the desire for free, spontaneous decisions. At the same time, it encouraged people to rethink their own decisions. With simple but effective means, Schüttoff made it possible to experience that even small changes can lead to a new way of life. Both the third prize and the special prize were worth 1,000 euros.

Special Prize: Jiefu Zhou - Floating Alive

On the banks of the Diemel, the sculptures "Floating Alive" by Jiefu Zhou from China posed a riddle: Elongated beings on long legs or boats on stilts aligned with the direction of flow of the Diemel. Something that could not be pigeonholed and characterised our world as strange and "out of joint".

Commendatory Mention

Dina Hillebrand – "Prayer"
Markéta Váradiová – "Nine Names"
Geraldo Zamproni – "For Us All"

Competition theme "Change!?" hit a nerve

Many other works inspired the audience: for example, the three cloud-like fabric sculptures by Geraldo Zamproni from Brazil, which captivated the visitors as soon as they arrived on the Kramberg. Also visible from afar on the banks of the Diemel was the work "Prayer" by Dina Hillebrand, which at first glance was reminiscent of Tibetan prayer flags and with critical texts invited visitors to reflect and think further. "Overall, the competition theme "Change!?", which focuses on climate change and transformation, struck a chord with the audience, especially at this time. We were able to create an opportunity for the visitors to approach this topic creatively and playfully, but also critically. This creates personal impressions that are breeding grounds for change," Reta Reinl summed up.

Thanks to sponsors and supporters

At the end of the festival, the curator addressed a big thank you to the sponsors. She said: "Without our sponsors, it would not be possible to realise an international wind art festival for a fortnight free of charge. And we would also like to sincerely thank all the helpers* who worked on the set-up and organisation!" This year's sponsors include: The district of Kassel, the city of Hofgeismar, the city of Liebenau, the Reinhardswald Nature Park, the Kasseler Sparkasse, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art, Volksbank Kassel-Göttingen, ART-regio Sparkassen-Versicherung, Bundesverband Windenergie (Hessen), EAM and AGiL. Special thanks also go to the farmers Bernd Diederich and Ottmar Rudert, who made their land available.

Wind art to leaf through

By the way: You can pre-order the exhibition catalogue and a photo calendar for 2022/2023 at www.bewegter-wind.de and by phone on 06454-1445. The proceeds will go to the bewegter wind e. V. association.

Exhibition Locations 2023