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Iris Andraschek :
Freier Badebrunnen Loosdorf - Privatsphäre und Phantomwände

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Loosdorf, 2006
Loosdorf 126, 2133 Loosdorf

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The oversized bathroom made of concrete situated on the village promenade and called the Freier Badebrunnen Loosdorf — Privatsphäre und Phantomwände (Loosdorf Open-Air Bathing Fountain — Private Realm and Phantom Walls) covers approx. 30 sqm. It is equipped with a fully operational shower, a bathtub and a basin that visitors may use.

The captivating blue of the 'fountain' means that it attracts people from afar even though the view of items normally found in a domestic environment is a source of irritation. The oversized bathroom made of concrete, which cites the usual bathroom furnishings, complete with shower, bathtub and basin, is lined with blue glass mosaic stones. Water runs out of the taps and shower head – but excessively: while the basin spills over, the shower keeps running and the water in the bathtub streams straight into the overflow. The bathroom mutates into a fountain that alludes to the historical connection of springs with artesian wells and baths. Associations with spas, wellness and fountains of youth are a given, as is the ambivalence of the private sphere, intimate space, as a public space and repeatedly experienced by the public in a new context. The open-air baths is also addressed as a cultural site that becomes an extension of the community. Resting cyclists, and there are many cyclists in the area, make use of the installation, as do children – among whom it has long been favoured as a fixed component in their activities.
(Susanne Neuburger)

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Videos (1)

Iris Andraschek, Freier Badebrunnen Loosdorf, Ausschnitt aus Public Art 2007-2009 (Gestaltung: Maria Stipsicz)
© koernoe