Big Sneaker [The Nineties], 2001

Basel 2019
Big Sneaker [The Nineties]

Galerie Eigen + Art

Installation
Various cloth materials, film, inflatables; accompanied by the work: A Short Catalogue Of Things That You Think You Want, 2001; text by Zadie Smith for the anniversary issue of The Face, 2000; wall lettering with Letraset; dimensions variable
400.0 x 900.0 x 300.0 (cm)
157.5 x 354.3 x 118.1 (inch)
The work of German artist Olaf Nicolai often deals with acts of perception, translating blind spots. His inflatable sculpture Big Sneaker [The Nineties] is a proportionally exact enlargement of Nike’s ‘Air Max.’ It can be displayed either standing, or lying on its side. In the horizontal variation, a seating facility is offered in the form of an oversized sofa on which the visitor can sit down. Ironically monumental, in spite of its size, the sculpture is so light that it can easily be moved across the floor. Also on view is the approximately 100-meter-long text, written by Zadie Smith and published in the trend magazine The Face, titled A Short Catalogue Of Things That You Think You Want. ‘I find it more interesting to achieve something “analytical” using means that are not analytical – by writing a short story instead of an essay, for example: I’m interested in how the analytical can be opened up.... I don’t want to reiterate the age-old dichotomy of the enjoyable and entertaining versus reflection. A reflexive function is also possible in enjoyment.’ – Olaf Nicolai