The cautious observer watches the situation from the safe shore, quickly recognizing how the equally sized segments of the circular water wall build up in a heavily opaque rhythm, only to collapse again shortly after. The brave one rushes over one of the four piers and seeks the right moment to reach the dry round island in the middle of the fountain.
The third person doesn't care about anything: they break through the water walls and end up soaking wet. The fourth one – an expert – is pleased because she immediately identifies the crazy fountain as a work by Jeppe Hein. It wasn't difficult for her since "Water Island, Morsbroich" is, so to speak, a prime example of the Dane's art.
Born in 1974 in Copenhagen, Hein first attracted attention as a student during a guest semester in Frankfurt with movable walls. Later, he built mazes of light, made benches along with their owners wander through the exhibition space, or let a large steel ball roll menacingly towards gallery visitors. Additionally, there are various fountains. His probably most famous one was built in 2003 in Venice to cool down Biennale visitors. One of the younger examples has been delighting and refreshing guests since 2018 in the square between the Bundeskunsthalle and the Kunstmuseum in Bonn.
In the Morsbroich fountain variant, the artist now finds all sorts of allusions to the baroque ambiance, as the era is known for its strictly symmetrical designs, for its impressive water scenarios – see Versailles. And also for its enjoyment of intelligent games Who's in? Don't get annoyed, human – even if in the end you have to leave the ring after being bathed.
