SOFIE THORSEN’S ARTISTIC INTERVENTION IN THE SCHOOL’S SPACIOUS OUTDOOR AREA CONSISTS OF BALL-PLAYING WALLS THAT INVITE STUDENTS TO PLAY FREELY AND WITHOUT RULES.
The five free-standing concrete walls feature bright colours, holes and monochromatic metal elements, and draw inspiration from the historical playground sculptures of the post-war era. In contrast to the adjacent sport facilities, they allow students to play freely without predefined rules and regulations. The hand-painted walls modulate and interrupt the otherwise unobstructed view across the athletics ground, create diverse spaces and offer varying degrees of visual cover and shelter. This results in areas offering more or less privacy that are unlike any other places on the school grounds.
In their free time, young people look for places that do not serve a specific purpose, but rather simply provide a setting where they can spend time, sit and just be. The Ballspielwände project fulfils this need and offers precisely those kinds of places where youngsters can play (ball) or just hang out.