Katja Strunz: The Great Bear (je meurs où je m'attache) (2009)
This installation, developed from the original exhibit at Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Germany, 2006, reflects the artist's ongoing enquiry into cultural history, philosophy, architecture, temporality and the ownership of space and collections. The objects, placed within the context at Mount Stuart, and demanding a renewed focus, connecting with the astronomical and astrological references in the house itself.
'The Great Bear' design for the ceiling of the Marble Hall, H.W. Lonsdale
The objects, 'Parasols,' are built to resemble plants, mushrooms or umbrellas and their positioning follows the pattern of the stars called The Great Bear. The artist has noted, "rather than represent an exact copy of the constellation [I] reflect the idea of mirroring The Great Bear into our space, a mimetic process".
Sarah Lowndes, a writer and curator and Research Fellow at Norwich University of the Arts, wrote an accompanying essay for this exhibition, which you can read here.