JEPPE HEIN
PLAYGROUND EIERPLATZ MONHEIM

EIERPLATZ, MONHEIM, GERMANY
PERMANENT INSTALLATION SINCE 2022
As part of a reconstruction project to situate the Eierplatz within the geographical center of the city of Monheim am Rhein, the local government commissioned Jeppe Hein to install a new work: a playground.
The unveiling of this new project coincided with the celebration of the opening of the newly renovated public square on 1 October 2022. Hein designed two distinct areas within the plaza – one containing bright yellow versions of his MODIFIED SOCIAL BENCHES and STREET LAMPS atop a green carpeted platform, and one with a circular water fountain built into the ground of the pedestrian throughway. The PLAYGROUND EIERPLATZ MONHEIM is meant for all ages, where children can be seen climbing on the curves of Hein’s lamps, while others hop in anticipation between spouts of water sprayed in concentric arrangements, as others sit on the playful sculptures and look on, or just relax – all forms of engagement are encouraged. The idea is that the Eierplatz, now open to two possible points of entry, will emerge as an attraction and place for contact between the city’s residents, offering a site for play and potential sociality. According to the Mayor of Monheim, Daniel Zimmermann, "Public space is for everyone. And art is a natural part of this public space. The public space that has now been artistically redesigned here invites people to get together. And it's fun to spend time in it." SOCIAL PLAYGROUND EIERPLATZ, 2022
Water Pavilion, Modified Social Benches, Modified Street Lamps

© Courtesy KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin and 303 GALLERY, New York
© Images Michael Hotopp, Stephan Brendgen and Thomas Spekowius

FEATURED ARTIST

JEPPE HEIN
Jeppe Hein (b. 1974 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish artist based in Berlin. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Städel Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Jeppe Hein is widely known for his production of experiential and interactive artworks that can be positioned at the junction where art, architecture, and technical inventions intersect. Unique in their formal simplicity and notable for their frequent use of humor, his works engage in a lively dialogue with the traditions of Minimalist sculpture and Conceptual art of the 1970s. Jeppe Hein’s works often feature ...
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