Viron Erol Vert: Garden of Ornaments

From the moment one walks into the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden’s foyer, one is confronted with another reality; through color, scale, and size new forms embrace the visitor’s perception, and create a dreamy, fluid, and spatial experience to remind them of the power of artistic thinking.

Since last spring, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden has been welcoming its visitors with a new spatial form; a long-term installation by Berlin-based artist Viron Erol Vert (b. 1975).

This commission serves both as an art installation, for public use, and a passage between the park outside and exhibition space above, celebrating the long tradition of working with artists for the foyer and the café including Daniel Buren, and Tobias Rehberger.

Titled Garden of Ornaments, the installation offers a place for gathering, resting and reflection in a collective, friendly, and inviting environment during the working hours of the day. It thoughtfully addresses the needs of Kunsthalle’s visitors, providing opportunities for preparation, relaxation, and contemplation. It is a playful environment for thinking, sharing, and having a colorful break.   

One of the significant references to this holistic understanding of spatial design comes from his genealogical roots, complex family history, and diverse background in Anatolian, Italian, and Greek culture; the city of Istanbul and Athens but also his roots in Berlin nightlife from 2000 on.

The traditional motifs and decorative elements included in its ornamental design are abstracted through their contemporary conversation with Mediterranean culture. In developing this concept, the artist has drawn inspiration from the hybrid forms of ornaments and their languages and patterns; the color palette of complementary spiritual awareness and mystics; Baden-Baden’s rich history, particularly its renowned spa culture, its connection to water sources, and the diverse cultural influences that converge in the city. 

The result of this inquiry is a spacetime that blends time with the perception of space including the elements of historical reference with contemporary artistic practice. Through a thoughtful integration of form, color, light, and symbolism, and their relation to each other, Vert’s installation transforms the space into a vibrant dialogue between past and present, light and shadow, celebrating the unique identity of its surroundings.

Taking out the architectural elements, which have accumulated over more than a century; and applying his design elements and artistic forms to the main architectural structures, generated a new relationship between architecture versus humans, to an open space, a void, and a sanctuary which has been redefined through Vert’s approach. One can see the columns, arches, and other neoclassical forms in his color codes as abstracted forms in a poetic harmony. 

Vert’s practice is deeply rooted in thinking about sharing spaces including existing cultural connections between diverse locations, communities, and individuals. His sculptures and installations therefore transcend formal modulation delving deeper into the origins of cultures, their symbols, and their ways of acting. When the bold formal design of  Theo van Doesborg’s Cafe Aubette in  the nearby city of Strasbourg challenged the aesthetic vision of its guests in 1928, it might be the mere act of sharing a table in Garden of Ornaments that challenges its guests in today’s polarized world.

As a proposal to be applied to our everyday lives, it is about connecting, imagining together, facing each other, staying together, spending time, and speaking to each other. 

Commissioned by Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden.