Jeppe Hein
Did I miss something
Padersee 33102 Paderborn
Stop: Padersee
accessible with lines 9 and 14
permanently accessible
runs 8 am – 11 pm
Did I miss something (2001)
You might ask yourself, »What was that? Did I miss something? What did I do?« when a fountain suddenly shoots up from the lake, depending on where you are standing along the lake promenade or when you sit down on what appears to be an ordinary wooden bench.
With his work Did I miss something, which Jeppe Hein developed in 2001 and has now adapted specifically for the lake Padersee, the artist creates a surprising and humorous irritation in the public space. The installation is invisible until it is activated – by the physical presence of a person, by the
decision to sit down.
As soon as a person sits on the bench by the lake, a colossal jet of water shoots up from the lake. When one stand up again, it stops. The immediate, almost playful interaction invites to smile – and also causes confusion. For what does it mean to trigger a reaction in the environment without wanting to or knowing it?
Hein’s work brings the relationship between humans and nature, between control and chance, to our attention. The lake is not just a backdrop here, but an active participant in a liquid dialogue: a poetic gesture about perception, effect and the subtle mechanisms of everyday life that only become visible when we – literally – trigger them.
Jeppe Hein
Jeppe Hein, born in 1974 in Copenhagen, lives and works in Berlin. His interactive artworks enter into dialogue with the traditions of minimalist sculpture and conceptual art of the 1970s. Humorous, surprising elements place the viewer at the centre and question their perception of space. He studied in Copenhagen and Frankfurt. His works can be seen in important collections worldwide, including the Centre Pompidou and the Venice Biennale; installations can be found, for example, at LaGuardia Airport, NYC.
