Line of Beauty

Bergkamen

Line of Beauty

Susanne Lorenz explores the changing landscape. Her artwork “Line of Beauty” was created in 2010 along the Seseke River. It marks the spot where the river used to bend. Before the river was straightened around 1920, the water did not flow in straight lines. The artist brings this historical form back into the present.

Nature as a Filter

The installation uses wooden stakes in the water. These stakes delineate an area for aquatic plants. The plants serve a special purpose: they filter pollutants from the Seseke and purify the water. Biologist Dr. Stephan Pflugmacher supported the artist in this ecological project. Here, art and science work together for a healthy environment.

Technology versus Nature

The work’s title is derived from William Hogarth. For this painter, the curved line was the symbol of perfect beauty. Susanne Lorenz juxtaposes two ideals. On one side stands the canal as a symbol of human engineering. On the other side is the natural movement of the water. Anyone using the accompanying bike path follows the gentle curve. The artwork makes the old river course so directly tangible.

Bergkamen

Line of Beauty