Zauberlehrling a concept by Inges Idee

Inges Idee is a Berlin-based artistic collective who create concepts for public spaces. Zauberlehrling is a 35-meter sculpture constructed with modified steel profiles for Emscherkunst 2013 in Oberhausen, Germany. The sculpture depicts an electricity pylon in supposed motion.

In close collaboration with the artists and the manufacturer the sculpture was created in CAD in accordance with the production method. The challenge lay firstly, in designing a freeform bent structure that is reminiscent of a power pole, consisting of regular profiles that are connected to each other. Secondly, in making the virtual data accessible for the manufacturer in an analogous way, in order for them to reproduce the profiles by manual labour. Due to the ‘dancing’ shape of the sculpture none of the over 250 profiles are alike, each varying in size and shape.

For approval of design and statics, we started with a model that consists of curves. Later these curves helped to apply the different profiles thicknesses, according to information provided by the structural engineer. A technical drawing was conceived for each part, dimensioned in a way reproducible for the manufacturer.