Endogene Depression V 1980

Editor: Here we have Wolf Vostell's "Endogene Depression V," a concrete sculpture on a wooden table. The rough texture of the concrete contrasts so starkly with the simple lines of the table. How do you see this piece interacting with materiality and production? Curator: The core resides in the contrast. Vostell emphasizes the industrial, the mass-produced. The concrete, a ubiquitous material, is presented not as a foundation, but as a subject. The table, seemingly handcrafted, elevates this industrial block. Editor: So, it is about elevating the mundane? Curator: Precisely. By placing this concrete form on a pedestal, Vostell challenges the hierarchy between high art and everyday labor. Consider the act of construction, the pouring, the setting – it’s about the making. It invites us to analyze the labor of its making, and what is consumed through it. Editor: I never thought about concrete that way! Curator: Vostell compels us to see the potential for beauty and meaning within the most ordinary materials.