GEREON LEPPER

DER SPÄHER [The look-out]

1998
H 12.5 m / W 15.0 m / D 1.5 m
Gewerbe- und Landschaftspark Henrichshütte Hattingen; Prototype Gallery Valeria Belvedere, Milano

The sculpture 'Der Späher' is a balancing system mounted moveably on the pylons of a bridge with tensioning ropes. It consists of two identical wings formed of edged special steel plates which are bolted to solid steel sections. These in turn are by means of transverse axles mounted in ball bearings moveably mounted on the heads of the pylons in such a way that the wings protrude outwards at right angles to the bridge. At the side of the steel sections protruding inwards, cylindrical counter-weights are fastened which balance the wings sloped slightly downwards in windless weather. Air currents acting on them disturb this balance. The movements of the two wings acting independently of each other then arising are similar, but never quite synchronous. In that way, the sculpture makes the impression of a gigantic bird which, when gliding, instinctively co-ordinates the movements of its wings.