"Go up in the air"
Artist: Bernd Hanewinkel
On the edge of the Wümmenwiesen. At a height of about three meters, a colorful staircase winds up into the air from a base. At the end there is a figure based on "Hans Look-in-die-Luft" (Heinrich Hoffmann), who takes a giant step into the void.
For the artist, the slightly rocking figure stands for stepping into space, reaching for the stars; human hubris, the urge to utopia and world exploration; the ladder to heaven, the looming abyss.
This ambiguous existence of humans, which occurs in fairy tales and in the myths of many peoples, is intended as a metaphor to make the viewer think, not precocious and plaintive, but humorous and wise. The title "In the air" should also refer to this, which, according to the artist, also allows for a slightly rebellious interpretation. The origin can be found in an archaic myth, but the artist also sees references to current crises of our time.