Shot outside the University of Heidelberg in Germany ‘Dem Lebendigen Geist’ is the motto of the Univerity personified in 7 foot high serifed characters dispersed throughout the courtyard. The letters are placed at varying distances from the entrance of the courtyard so that on entering the viewer sees the motto spellt out by letters which appear in different sizes. A fantastic example of type as sculpture using a visual rhythm to captivate an idea and an ethos.Der lebendige Geist is the spirit that creates and preserves life and invests it with meaning. The inscription over the entrance reminds the people studying, teaching and researching there that they should be mindful of that spirit. It reminds them to be mutually respectful and to think about different opinions instead of rejecting them out of hand. It reminds them that science and scholarship should serve life, peace and justice rather than destruction or financial profit + A creative mind is one that always questions, never rests on established knowledge or achievement.
Is the title “Dem” lebendigen or “Der” lebendige Geist? From the text it appears to be the subject. Erklaerung bitte!
Thought provoking sculpture – it would brighten up Swansea’s campus no end! Possibly in Welsh.