Skulpturenpark Köln

 
KölnSkulptur 5 - 2009-2011
Participating artists
please click for more details
 
Thomas Moecker
Thomas Moecker
Basement, 2007
concrete, steel

Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
represented at KölnSkulptur 5
Cast in concrete, the mattress fabricated by Thomas Moecker (b. 1967 in Magdeburg, Germany) alludes to the lowest rung of the social ladder: homelessness. It could stem from the makeshift abode of someone living on the street. And although none of us enjoy confronting this societal "problem", we all jointly bear responsibility for it - since we are also part of a social, political and economic system which can trigger this descent into social exclusion. Using concrete as a material for bedding stands in stark contrast to our need for warmth, comfort, peace and intimacy. As rigid and inflexible as this material is, so too is the scope for social mobility in our society. "As a man makes his bed, so must he lie" is a demotic metaphor individualising responsibility for prevailing social conditions. Is owning a bed not physical and psychological necessity? Yet no one can find respite on a concrete mattress. Basement is the title given to this work by the artist, and, indeed, there is little prospect of getting a good night's sleep in society's basement.