Carsten Höller

RB Ride is a car ride carousel with a base diameter of 16.75 m and 12 gondolas. The minimum height is 3.50 m and can reach 10,50 m. The coloured gondolas revolve in a circle and at the same time tilt towards the ground, making one revolution every quarter hour. With this installation, the artist contradicts the primary function of the carousel and the expectations of the visitors, by changing the machine’s movement: rotation is slowed down to deny the centrifugal force, which instead causes thrill and euphoria and a purely physical perception of the experience. Such slow ride causes greater instability and restlessness as compared to the usual motion of the carousel, offering visitors the chance to observe the surrounding natural landscape from a very unusual point of view. “… The beauty of the landscape merges with the beauty of the carousel, and they become one” The carousel emphasises the value of time, reflection and contemplation and invites visitors to put into question their way of perceiving their own reality and certainties.

Anno2009PosizioneSan Severino LucanoDettagliride in a modified carousel: steel, artificial leather, aluminium, fibreglass, coloured plastic bulbs, electronic controls, electric engine (four revolutions per hour), cables. Built by Robles Bouso Atracciones S.A., Spain (1969).

Biography

German artist, born in Brussels in 1961. He lives and works in Stockholm. He comes to prominence in the 1990s, and he holds many personal and collective exhibitions at important international institutions. Höller sees art as a cognitive instrument and uses his works to transform the sensory and emotional experience of individuals. He loves bewildering and provoking the audience, by altering traditional perceptive mechanisms. At first sight, his works are characterised by ironic and playful aspects, but behind such innocent appearance, Höller instils doubts and uncertainties that can change the ordinary perception of things. He creates situations or experiences to actively engage the audience. Some famous works include the instalment of slides at the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London (2006) – defined by the artist as “generators of thrill and happiness” – or the giant upside-down mushrooms at the Fondazione Prada in Milan (2000). At the end of 2008, Höller creates a temporary installation in London: The Double Club, a project in the form of a bar, restaurant and nightclub, open only for six months. Set up to be a meeting point for the Congolese and Western cultures, the Club had a double menu of typical recipes from Northern Europe and Congo.
Carsten Höller has participated in important international exhibitions from Documenta to Manifesta, from the Venice Biennale to events in Berlin and Sao Paulo, Brazil. He represented Sweden at the 51st Venice Biennale, with Miriam Bäckström. He has held exhibitions in important venues, including the Tate Modern in London and the Mass MoCA in the USA.