Reso 2017-2712 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

THE CONCEPT In French language, Bonhomme means good man, and in the artist's words "it is also the soul that creates such a person". Daniel Knorr is specifically known for his snowman sculptures. Some of these have been shown in important art institutions and festivals around the world such as the National Museum of Fine Art in Budapest, Hungary; Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland; Villa Arson Contemporary Art Center in Nice, France; and other art galleries and private collections. The idea of the Snowman in Knorr's practice, came to fruition in 1997 in Berlin, when the artist became interested in the idea of a snowman's absolute requisite of the use of snow, and a concep- tual possibility of a snowman existing within a context without snow. Knorr enabled the existence of a sub -tropical snowman, one that would belong to each originating context and landscape. Also, instead of the traditional snowman's broom, Knorr's Bonhomme has a palm branch. Bonhomme Universe intends to explore the concept of universality while inspired by Jade Signa- ture; the name of the new project by Herzog & DeMeuron. The concept of Bonhomme Universe came into the artist's mind, during his last visit to Miami. In this visit, Knorr went to the beach every morning and was mesmerized by the jade color of the ocean, in dialogue with the many colors of Miami's urban landscape. In addition, he was particu- larly drawn by Miami's diverse community, and immediately visualized an array of beautiful gem- stones that would resemble such cultural meeting point. The structure of the sculpture represents a good house inhabited by good soul people as precious stones. The variety of gemstones that constitute the work, come from different parts of the world, resembling the multicultural identity of Miami's community, including the upcoming residents of 396 Jade Signature. In addition to the gemstones, the snowman has an arm in the form of a palm branch. In a first im- pression, the palm branch has a greeting function; the snowman waving at us. However, the mean- ing of the palm branch is related to the symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life originat- ing in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. Palm trees were sacred in Mesopotamian religions, while in ancient Egypt they represented immortality. In Judaism, a closed frond of the date palm is part of the festival of Sukkot. In ancient Greece, a palm branch was awarded to victo- rious athletes, while in ancient Rome, a palm frond, or the tree itself, was one of the most common attributes of personified Victory. In Christianity, the palm branch is associated particularly with Palm Sunday, when according to Christian tradition, palm branches were waved at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It was adopted into Christian iconography to represent the victory of martyrs, or the victory of the spirit over the flesh. Since victory signals an end to a conflict or competition, the palm is then represented as a symbol of peace.