Two Hills - One Landscape
VENUSTAS ET UTILITAS - Aesthetic design of land used for agriculture and forestry in the Ruhr Metropolis
Mechtenberg / Photo: WAZ Foto Pool/Ulrich von Born
Two hills - one landscape: The Mechtenberg hill, one of the few natural elevations in the Ruhr, rises gently above the city of Essen. Well within view, the grey, conical shape of the Rheinelbe spoil heap at Gelsenkirchen looms large, along with Herman Prigann's "Stairway to Heaven".
Very few places in the Ruhr present such a tense juxtaposition between the primeval landscape of the ice age and the excesses of industrial development. The tension is heightened by the activities of agriculture and the planting of woodland on the industrial wasteland. An experiment is being carried out to determine the extent to which aesthetics and practicality can co-exist harmoniously in the Ruhr Metropolis.
The Studio Bürgi from Camorino/Switzerland is conducting the daring experiment along with project curator Professor Weilacher, Budde/Maas agricultural partners, the Regional Forestry Administration NRW and the Ruhr Regional Association as joint project owners. Distinct lines of colour in a swirling sea of petals and grasses. Strips of land are washed with colour. Fields turn from light to dark. Changing angles, changing views. The coloured design of the landscape can best be appreciated from the artificial height of the "Stairway to Heaven".
All manner of festivals are celebrated by the multicultural population of the urban triangle of Bochum, Essen and Gelsenkirchen. Children and young people take part in the Celebration of Lights (February 1, 2010), the Spring Festival (March 20, 2010), the Straw Festival (August 25, 2010) and the Scarecrow Parade (October 31, 2010) or discover the landscape through geocaching. An exhibition in the industrial woodland and in the forestry centre is dedicated to the memory of the "Art in Nature" artist Herman Prigann.
all year
Mechtenberg, Essen / Rheinelbe spoil tip, Gelsenkirchen
Celebration of Lights: February 1, 2010
Spring Festival: March 20, 2010
Straw Festival: August 25, 2010
Scarecrow Parade: October 31, 2010
Admission free
Partners: Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz, MUNLV NRW, Regionalverband Ruhr; Curator: Professor Weilacher