Rolf Sachs - typically German fare

A garden gnome sculpted from anthracite coal and dressed in mining gear embodies the allegedly German virtue of industriousness. Cast in solid bronze, an almost four metre-high tower of books consisting of works from the German classics bears the title Der unendliche Geist (‘The Endless Mind'). An oversized brass plumb bob is suspended at eye level and symbolises ‘precision’. These are only three of the pieces Rolf Sachs has created exclusively for his ‘Typically German?’ exhibition at the MAKK. Inspired by the ‘German mentality’ and the many clichés associated with it, the Londonbased artist and designer Rolf Sachs has analysed concepts such as industriousness, cleanliness, the down-to-earth attitude, melancholy and Gemütlichkeit (homeliness) and has interpreted them in an ingenious and simultaneously humorous way. The results have been visualised in the form of unusual and often grossly oversized objects and installations. Rolf Sachs’ work is located between the poles of art and design. His pieces want to lead the viewer towards a radically new perspective on objects and towards questioning the objects’ original functions.