EYE-LAND

IJsseloog (NL), 2014

IJsseloog (in English: the eye of the IJssel) is a two kilometre long artificial island situated in the Ketelmeer in The Netherlands. The perfectly circular lake in its centre serves as a dump for contaminated mud deposited by the Rhine River, then dredged from the nearby delta and transported to the IJsseloog for treatment.

The video reveals the man-made nature of the landscape, which still looks idyllic despite its geometry.

Geometry and optics are also fundamental to Gschwantner‘s works woven from PVC-tubes. The net of PVC tubes are filled with seawater and contaminated residue, then stretched over a three-dimensional picture plane. Together with the inclusion of abstract forms and painted linework, these create new patterns. This stratification generates shimmering effects and visual movements similar to Op Art.

Video:

EYE-LAND, 2014
5:07 min
(C) Robert Gschwantner
Credits: Rijkswaterstaat Midden - Nederland, Van Kleef Media, Jonathan Turner