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Bridges Spreepark

Iván Argote is designing an ensemble of bridges that will lead at some points across the water basin and link the park to the island situated behind the Ferris wheel. Made of concrete, each bridge will share the same basic dimensions, though shaped and distorted in various ways. Sometimes it seems as if they would pause in the middle of the crossing only to become vantage points or submerge into the water and immediately resurface. The bridges thus serve as more than just a means of crossing an obstacle and connecting two places, but also provide unexpected perspectives and experiences.

The function of the bridge becomes a symbol of proximity or connection, communication or contemplation, a political or social gesture in the work of Iván Argote, whose work most often deals with the complicated and multi-layered relationship between people and systems, each other and their environment. The work series Bridges Spreepark interprets the term "bridge" at once literally and metaphorically: as architectural constructions, they bridge the site and, as a series of interrelated sculptures, give material expression to the socio-political symbol. After all, a bridge can be built symbolically and physically, it can mark a virtual or physical border, lead into the void, span the abyss, be torn down. In this context, the coexisting layers are only activated by the Spreepark visitors: When they step onto the bridges, the tangible function and metaphorical idea enter into a dialogue.