Work Series:
Berge, 2013

The group of mountains (Berge) made of plaster and stucco from 2013 raises the question of the comparability of physical, topographical structures: Which is the highest mountain on earth? From where does one begin to measure height? Is the most accurate height measurement the one taken from the center of the Earth? Or is it the one taken from sea level, which is constantly changing due to variable factors such as tides, climate change, and waves? Or should one measure from the foot of the mountain? Depending on the measurement method, either Mount Everest, Chimborazo, or Mauna Kea is the highest mountain on Earth. The time of measurement is also crucial, as erosion, earthquakes, and tectonic shifts cause the height of mountains to change constantly.

Despite the arbitrariness of a final determination, humans are driven by a psychological need to clarify this question, as it simultaneously locates them in the world, assigns them their place, and gives them abstract power over the supposedly unconquerable mountains—including the mythically charged Holy Mountain where the gods dwell, Mount Olympus. The pedestals of the sculptures on display vary in height, reflecting questions of perspective: Do you look from above, from below, or do you place yourself at eye level with the mountain?