MAASTRICHT.- The Bonnefantenmuseum presents Sol LeWitt & Roman Signer, Wall Drawing # 801:Spiral & Wasserinstallation. Wall drawing #801: Spiral (1996) in the Cupola by Sol LeWitt (1928 Hartford) is now accompanied by the work Wasserinstallation (1999) by Roman Signer (1938 Appenzell). The two works complement each other extraordinarily well in their taut geometric principles.

Water is the theme running through the work and life of Roman Signer. He believes water to be the most important natural element by far. It makes its appearance in very diverse forms: as a rhythmic element, shaping principle or as a force that destroys everything. Signer used to go on tough kayak expeditions in remote mountain areas, until one day a friend of his did not return from such an expedition. Since then, the kayak puts in regular appearances in his work.

On 30 June 1999, Roman Signer paddled his kayak through the eight arms of the waterway specially designed for the Cupola. The recording of this ‘Aktion' shows a serious Signer struggling to fight his way through the narrow channels. Despite the enormous dimensions, the channels were measured too tightly and it is impossible to paddle properly, so that this attempt was doomed to fail.

In contrast to the fleeting nature of Signer's ‘Aktion', time has no hold on this stainless steel waterway with the bobbing kayak. Wasserinstallation creates a vacuum in which the starting and finishing points of an imaginary journey come together.