„… I was truly impressed by some pieces and I am pleased that the Berlin artist Roland Fuhrmann was awarded the commission. His work is a very accomplished design with an expression that is relevant to the themes of our ministry. From one perspective it creates community, while from the other, it presents many individuals. Dependingon the viewpoint, one also sees barcodes, which can inspire many different associations: social cohesion, the rightto individuality or future developments.Thework’s multifaceted nature, evading any simplistic interpretation, suits our department perfectly.“
„The competition for the „art in architecture” at the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) was the first time that I had been a member of a jury. I Iooked forward to the discussions and designs and wondered whether there would be any „artist versus user” debates. As a representative of the BMI, I am accustomed to the fact that our department’s controversial social themes, such as „internal security“ and „migration”, pose a special challenge in addressing them. That is right and proper. But how would artists accept that challenge and how would the jury assess the results of their artistic investigations?
Matters immediately became controversial at the start of the first round. I was interested in one design that picked up on thecolours „black-red-gold“. When another jury member asked me whether I was not embarrassed by my opinion, I sensed that the forthcoming discussions might be ratherIively, as indeed they were. I found several designs inspiring and stimulating, some beautiful and others rather clumsy and inflammatory. One can argue keenly about all of that – which is exactly what the jury did. But nevertheless, in most cases, we were able to reach an agreement with in a relatively short time. I was slightly irritated by designs that apparently regarded the BMI as a department that over-emphasises the issue of security. In the eyes of its users, i.e. BMI employees, the department is primarily a body that defends freedom and therules that order the way we live together, while also shaping social cohesion. Furthermore, the BMI is a constitutional body, a sports ministry and responsible for a wide range of fields such as integration, digitisation and manyothers. I was truly impressed by some pieces and I am pleased that the Berlin artist Roland Fuhrmann was awarded the commission. His work is a very accomplished design with an expression that is relevant to the themes of our ministry. From one perspective it creates community, while from the other, it presents many individuals. Dependingon the viewpoint, one also sees barcodes, which can inspire many different associations: social cohesion, the rightto individuality or future developments.Thework’s multifaceted nature, evading any simplistic interpretation, suits our department perfectly.“
