Balancing act

Delicate lace lingerie encases the massive block of marble consisting of individual slabs and resembling a thick mattress like a textile skin. Once, the purpose of the soft, shimmering negligees was to envelop human bodies and give them an erotic aura. Now they have been cut up by Marie Madlen Weber, pieced together to form some kind of quilt, and are part of the sculpture “warm gehalten” (kept warm) (2019). As the name of the work suggests, the pieces of lingerie now have a whole new purpose: to keep warm.

The work illustrates several levels that play a recurring role in the artist’s works: On the one hand, transformation, disassembly and reassembly of parts into new, surprising forms. On the other, the material: by playing with the peculiarities of the substances, Weber questions what is supposedly a given. Her humorous, to-the-point work titles are only one indication of this approach.

The process is also an important factor in her works. And finally, there is the unmistakable trace that is not only physically present in imprints and incisions, but also remains as a thought in the viewer’s memory. In the following, we will take an in-depth look at all of these essential elements, illustrating the artist’s multi-layered mode of working by a few examples of her oeuvre.

The play with the material – clearly evident in “warm gehalten” (kept warm) – is further amplified by the choice of this ironic title. Even as a multilayered blanket, the thin lace fabric could not possibly warm anyone, let alone a block of stone. Nor can it “hold” a heavy slab of marble. What seems humoristic at first also contains a serious aspect: Instinctively, one associates it with life on the streets, the search for warmth and the use of sexual charms to create intimacy and closeness. Here, the characteristic interplay of emotionality and material, which shows through again and again in Marie Madlen Weber’s conceptual works, becomes apparent.

The artist consistently uses stone as her preferred material, for example in her work “Annäherung 1” (approach 1) (2021): Here, one side of the sculpture is shaped by nature, the river. The other side is being treated to become a negative form. The result is a symbiotic interplay of two forces, suggesting that the stone is soft and malleable. In the two-part work “Hitzewallung” (hot flash) (2021), the melted edge gives the impression that the stone has begun to deform under the influence of heat. Equally surprising is “Ein Stein” (a stone) (2020), a circle consisting of the pieces of a smashed stone. At the edge of this structure, however, one can perceive a delicate trace of some molten material, alluding to its softness and malleability. In addition to wholeness, fragmentation and reassembly, the work is also characterized by the contrast to the alleged hardness and stability of the stone.

What is striking in Marie Madlen Weber’s approach is the juxtaposition of opposites such as heavy-light, hard-soft, cold-warm, empty-full. For the spectator, this always creates a moment of surprise. Not only in her stone works, but also in her wax works, the artist emphasizes and explores the peculiarities of the material. In “7,14,21” (2012), the material takes on the leading role: for three days in a row and for several hours each, Weber sits on a 2-meter wax pedestal. Her body heat causes the material to begin to deform and slowly melt beneath her. Its bulging and its softness form a heavy contrast to her stone works. However, the slow change of material of the latter also becomes clear during the process of formation. The artist creates the massive sculpture through her body, albeit passively. Furthermore, the wax from which the orange pedestals are made has already been used in her installation “Raum Orange” (room orange)(2009). The walk-in room is completely lined with wax. In the course of the exhibition, various transformations take place as visitors enter, touch and mold it. Here, too, the interaction of body and material as well as a formation process through slowly developing heat play a crucial role. At this point, another characteristic of these works becomes clear: the process.

The relevance of the process is best explained by means of the wax work “Anwesend/Abwesend” (present/absent)(2013). For six nights, the artist slept on a mattress-like block of wax. Her body heat caused the material to deform almost imperceptibly underneath her weight. The subtle change in a state of bodily rest became visible only the next morning. Day after day and night after night, the traces became clearer. The close connection between body and material is an emotional and intense approach to sculpting.

This relationship with the process also becomes clear in “Mein Zimmer” (my room) (2009-2011): Peu à peu, the artist disassembled and molded all the objects in her room. In a multi-stage process of painstaking work, she tore and ground up all the textiles. With the resulting pulp, all the garments were reshaped, later ground up as well and transformed into cases. Thus, little by little, Weber first sheathed all the objects, then ground them up and finally made them into cases themselves. In this way, all the objects of the room have lost their original materiality and function and are now only reminders of a room full of functions and meanings. The work symbolizes the constant change that is immanent in the oeuvre. That is why the process, which has already lasted for several years, is not yet complete: By burning the work, it has turned into dust by now and will be processed further in the future. Weber’s works build upon one another, relate to one another and, despite constant change, seem to carry a coherent meaning.

The artist also transfers the process of disassembling and reassembling, refunctioning and reinterpreting to her stone works. The transformation is perhaps most evident in the work “Steinscheiben” (stone slices) (2006), for which she cuts the material into thin layers as if it were ham. It has seemingly lost its distinctive qualities such as heaviness and hardness, and the stone slices appear filigree and become translucent. The insides of the stone can now be observed, and previously hidden forms and textures become visible. In “Schicht für Schicht” (layer by layer) (2008-2009) Weber works on just one side of a block of marble covered with patina. She traces the natural relief of the stone, then erases the relief again and again and starts anew. In this way, the volume of the stone gradually decreases until only dust remains. The very title of the multi-piece work “FormA-” (2017-2021) implies fragmentation. The individual parts are variable components of the “Heimatstück” (piece of home) works. These are fascinating metamorphoses of material that seemingly achieve the impossible: various marble elements dissolve the existing notion of a solid rock, appear fluid, flexible and almost weightless. They fluidly adapt to their surroundings as if they wanted to score off the hard marble. Here, too, the artist deliberately focuses on the constant change of all things, the dissolution of what is supposedly given and the inversion of what seems to be rigid or fixed.

The artist also transfers the process of disassembling and reassembling, refunctioning and reinterpreting to her stone works. The transformation is perhaps most evident in the work “Steinscheiben” (stone slices) (2006), for which she cuts the material into thin layers as if it were ham. It has seemingly lost its distinctive qualities such as heaviness and hardness, and the stone slices appear filigree and become translucent. The insides of the stone can now be observed, and previously hidden forms and textures become visible. In “Schicht für Schicht” (layer by layer) (2008-2009) Weber works on just one side of a block of marble covered with patina. She traces the natural relief of the stone, then erases the relief again and again and starts anew. In this way, the volume of the stone gradually decreases until only dust remains. The very title of the multi-piece work “FormA-” (2017-2021) implies fragmentation. The individual parts are variable components of the “Heimatstück” (piece of home) works. These are fascinating metamorphoses of material that seemingly achieve the impossible: various marble elements dissolve the existing notion of a solid rock, appear fluid, flexible and almost weightless. They fluidly adapt to their surroundings as if they wanted to score off the hard marble. Here, too, the artist deliberately focuses on the constant change of all things, the dissolution of what is supposedly given and the inversion of what seems to be rigid or fixed.

Over the years, Marie Madlen Weber has collected candy wrappers and fused them into a kind of cocoon for her work “umsorgt” (cared for) (2013-2020). The metallic exterior does not convey the original materiality; only a glance into the colorful interior of the protective cover reveals the origin of the plastic parts. The title refers to the supposedly protective function of the sculpture, which could at least theoretically envelop a human being and serve as a temporary shelter from the outside world. At the same time, however, the name alludes to the calming function of those little snacks that carry us through the day and quasi pamper our souls. Just like “warm gehalten” (kept warm), “umsorgt” (cared for) also refers to the hopelessness already implied in the work process. Nothing is forever.

The years of work on “umsorgt” make it obvious that Weber devotes herself fully and without haste to her works – a process that involves great patience, but also deceleration and calmness. The sensual experience that takes place through the often haptic engagement with these works that require a lot of touching emphasizes the almost meditative state of production. Through physical contact, emotionally charged themes such as security, touch or protection are reinforced, which is particularly evident in works such as “Raum Orange” (room orange) or “Anwesend/Abwesend” (present/absent).

Again and again, Marie Madlen Weber’s approach resembles an exploratory balancing act. At all times, her approach is also an exploration of boundaries, a curious probing of what is possible. The works, created over a long period of time, show that the process can both signify a pause and a transformation. Opposites that converge as well as the contact between positive and negative, body and material, natural and artificially created, are a common theme of the artist’s oeuvre. Similar to a balancing act, two supposedly opposing positions move towards each other. Whether in the form of physical imprints, artificial legacies or permanent interference with nature, the works highlight the state of eternal change – and yet leave something behind. Material and emotional traces are the reference points of her multilayered and labor-intensive work.