Skulpturenpark Köln

abseite is a monument for an art which has fallen into disuse. And for good reason Jan Philip Scheibe (b. 1972 in Lemgo, Germany) has installed his neon sign - which could derive from a funfair - on the periphery of the Skulpturenpark Köln. As a result, his display attracts an audience; for the flashing neon display interacts externally with the motorists, deeply immersed in their own thoughts, as they drive past on the major arterial road flanking the Park. And strolling past from the direction of the Zoo, are pedestrians also trying to make sense of this compelling, yet contradictory artwork. What narratives are being related here about abseite and art? Jan Philip Scheibe serves as an "enabler", who trusts in the power of mutual interaction and reciprocity. With his carefully deployed lighting, he is citing a festival or show culture, which, as with art, takes place in confined circumstances. Seemingly minor and ostensibly unimportant things coalesce to yield something of qualitative significance; they are mutually interdependent. With tongue-in-cheek, Scheibe seeks in his art to redefine significant attributes, an endeavour, which, without the responsible cooperation of the public, would be destined to failure.