Closing ceremony and award presentation: The House of Wind is closed now

The Wind Art Festival in Zierenberg flew by in no time. Thousands of visitors flocked to the mountain. Without rushing. Instead, they took their time and leisurely strolled from installation to installation, taking in this unique triad of art, wind and landscape. From time to time, a new artistic idea, a new perspective on the landscape and cheerful people exchanging their experiences with each other. Or simply sitting and enjoying the views. Fresh perspectives, colourful impressions, new thoughts. 
You need time on the Berg der Warte. Some come every day to experience the many aspects of weather and light. Visitors from other parts of Germany complete the art trail in a day.

They ask when the next one will be. Where will it be? bewegter-wind never goes to the same place twice. Zierenberg was the 36th location in the Windkunstland Nordhessen, where wind art, videos and performances were exhibited. On Sunday, visitors had one last chance to enjoy the moment, visit their favourite exhibits one last time and let the Zierenberg wind blow around their noses.

The wind in your hair, art and landscape before your eyes

On the mountain, Miki Lazar's ‘AIRIS’, a giant iris that breathes in the landscape and wind and is a very popular photo motif, attracted visitors. Behind the iris, Yoko Ono's ‘Who has seen the wind’ plays on a wind-powered record player. Opposite, Christiane ten Hoevel's freedom flags flutter in the breeze. At the ancient willow tree in the hollow, a mobile by Dorothea Kirsch dances and a gong is struck: ‘In Abraham's sausage pot’. Svenja Rehse has installed her ‘Stiches on Peaces’ in a hedge path. Embroidered handkerchiefs from snot flags to climate intoxication. In the pavilion ‘The wind remembers’ by Belgian artists Charlotte Dubois and Ali Choupani Nejad, delicate wind flute tones can be heard. Japanese artist Kotoaki Asano has laid fine thread carpets over the landscape, while Swiss artist Heinz Schmid fills the mountain with the sound of bells with ‘Uppercycling’. Jean Boskja Missler's wedding procession strives up the mountain, above which Lorena Malo's Mexican manta rays dance in the sky. Further up the tower, Marcel Kopp's landscape fragments move like windsocks against the backdrop of Zierenberg. Orange-pink colour plates by Katrin Brand capture shadows and wind. A ‘windmill of dystopia’ by Ole Prietz and Emanuel Ott-Despoix contrasts with dynamic seed forms by Monika Bodenmüller. There is much more to discover, including in the video contributions and performances.

A wide range of fresh aspects that delighted visitors. It was no easy task for the award jury to select the winners from this total work of art. The jurors deliberated for almost two days. The award jury consisted of the following experts: Simone Maria Dietz M.A., art historian from Karlsruhe (www.kunstfilter-karlsruhe.de); Jürgen Heinz (artist and 2021 award winner) from Lorsch (https://www.atelier-juergenheinz.de/) and Britta Ischka, artist from Adelberg (http://art.ischka.com/). They discussed the 60 works and selected the winners of this year's bewegter wind award. The criteria were fresh perspectives and their presentation, relevance to wind and landscape, originality and complexity.

1st prize: Matthias Block, ‘Reforestation’ – € 3,000

A field with 99 triangular brown cardboard columns looks like a reforestation area. On closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the artist has used election posters for the plant protection columns.

 "We were particularly impressed by the complexity of his work. From a distance, only the idea of reforestation is visible at first. The sculptural arrangement/structure is convincing. Some of the steles appear to have a coloured finish at the top. The viewer is enticed to come closer, curious to explore the work. Only then does it become clear that these are just shells. First, the colourfulness of the interior becomes apparent, and only when you look inside does the diversity actually become visible: election posters show social and political issues, the preservation of democracy – protecting a delicate little plant. Movement that is not visible, but which is implemented in people's minds." (Jury text)

 2nd prize: Marie-Andrée Pellerin ‘Blowrders’ (video)  - € 2,000

 The video shows a fictional weather report on weather developments in the Moroccan desert. The meteorologist intervenes and uses controls to change the wind strength, wind howling and dust content. 
‘In an enormously condensed form, it visualises the changes the climate is currently undergoing and how humans are attempting to intervene, yet are actually the cause. Climate change as a control element that is slipping out of human hands.’ (Jury text)

 3rd prize: Philipp Appel ‘House of Wind’ – €1,000

An archway holds a long white piece of fabric and is exposed to the wind. You can walk through the ‘House of Wind’ when the wind is blowing. Without wind, it is closed. 
‘Movement and stillness in the visible action of the real wind, as well as in the thoughts of an observer. When the wind changes direction, when new perspectives arise, thoughts open up and the house opens up in a new direction. Whenever thoughts and wind are present, there is an exchange. When there is no wind, we pause.’ (Jury text)

 Special prize: kisa. Kirsten Sauer ‘Aurora’ – € 1,000

Three fifty-metre-long, shiny white fabric panels are stretched across the landscape in triangles and exposed to the wind and light.

‘In the form of a monumental wind sculpture, the work impressively conveys the theme of the exhibition through the constant changes in light, colour and wind.’ (Jury text)

The following exhibits received honourable mentions:

 ‘Small Fresh Bed’ – Regina Carmona

A large floral ornament can be seen in the grass. At the tips of each flower are four hay beds filled with fragrant herbs.

‘The idea of “fresh” is made culturally smellable and tangible in a natural space: a place of relaxation/an oasis of thought that directly reaches the senses without being held back by intellectualism.’ (Jury text)

 ‘Dust Pictures’ – Paul Pape

Paul Pape captures ambient dust using a fleece stretched across a device. The finished dust pictures show the dust of other landscapes.

"The exhibition environment “creates” an individual image of the natural landscape. Pape offers the ambient air a landing surface. He enables the creation of an individual, formally abstract “image” of the respective natural landscape." (Jury text)

 ‘Hamaca’ – Elke Wessel

A huge black hammock crocheted from video tapes and magnetic tapes from a NATO project. In the hammock are balls of various sizes, also crocheted.

‘In a medium used in many cultures – a hammock – multi-layered interpretations can be read. Elke Wessel brings strictly confidential matters to light and exposes them to the fresh air. By bringing them out into the open, something eerie becomes mysterious, which, placed on a hammock, can be interpreted in many ways.’ (Jury text)

 Curator Reta Reinl presented the awards together with District Administrator Andreas Siebert, Mayor Rüdiger Germeroth and Lisa Küpper (bewegter wind e.V.).

She also expressed her gratitude to the sponsors who made such an exhibition possible: the district of Kassel, Kasseler Sparkasse, the Hessian Ministry of Science

and Art, the town of Zierenberg, SparkassenVersicherung, the Gerhards-Fieseler-Stiftung, Planungs- und Betriebs-GmbH des Landkreises Kassel, BürgerEnergieGenossenschaft Wolfhagen and AGiL.

The helpers from all over North Hesse, the kitchen team and the friendly hosts from Zierenberg and the surrounding area also contributed to the great success of the Wind Art Festival. As did the concert cooperation with ARTpraxis Lentz and the spontaneous catering provided by the refugee aid organisation at the Kuchenwiese. They were all honoured at the closing event. Everyone left feeling satisfied and a little wistful. Wind art is fleeting and creates inner images that feed the anticipation for the 13th Wind Art Festival in 2027.