the transparent dream project in turku, finland, 1996, the fisherman project in rotterdam, the netherlands, 2006 and the so far not yet realized 4 chairs and 1 table, initiated in antwerpen, belgium, are important projects in my work. in a period of almost ten years 2 out of 3 project were realized. the projects refer to basic issues in humand life: a place to live, a chance to make a living and a place to meet others.
all three projects are more or less wireframes, a term-concept from 3d drawing programs. wireframes are more or less invisble and become visible by rendering, by applying textures, light, and circumstances. the wireframe is more or less the idea, visible in 3-d, but only in thin lines.
the 3 projects are similar. all three are common symbols for many people from many different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. the wireframes are clearly visible and exactly the same for everyone. the rendering however, the way the 3 projects are working so to speak, is completeley different from person to person.
working on the projects i had the chance to meet many people from whom many volunteered to assist in the realization of the transparent dream project, the fisherman and the 4 chairs and 1 table. just some pictures of what i had in mind was sufficient to generate many stories, about the house of their grandmother, the soup they ate their, the flowers in the garden etc etc. the same was true with the fisherman and the 4 chairs and 1 table. more or less the wireframe of the projects were rendered by those who saw them with their memories and dream.
each participant in the projects saw his or her version of the house, the fisherman or the 4 chairs and 1 table. in that sense the wireframes were the incentives of the projects, allowed others to actively participate and more or less to realize their house, their fisherman and their 4 cahirs and 1 table. the basic ideas for the projects formed in that sense a frame of reference to bind others with compeletely different ideas, make the realization of the projects possible and most of all allowed everyone to enjoy his or her private personal interpretation of the final result.
with the experience gained with these 3 projects i could continue. i could start other projects and cooperate with many more and instead of concentrating on well known themes like a house, a fisherman and 4 chaiurs and 1 table, more general themes were accessible. the haifa project for example, the berlin project, the ducks and especially now the fisherman for istanbul and the tulips are based on the insight and experience gained in the theree wireframe projects mentioned here above