Large scale sculpture - Guardians of Time 

Editor: Okay, next up we have what’s called “Large Scale Sculpture - Guardians of Time,” a site-specific sculpture and installation by Manfred Kielnhofer. Seeing these figures shrouded in such elaborate fabric in an urban space makes me feel like I've stumbled upon some secret society or forgotten ritual. What secrets do you think these guardians are keeping? Curator: Ah, secrets! Or perhaps… mirrors? Kielnhofer often plays with that very tension – the seen and the unseen, the past whispering to the present. Notice how the patterns adorning the figures are almost like fragments of advertisements, faded memories clinging to them? The city lights reflecting on the wet pavement further amplify this ephemeral quality. They seem both ancient and utterly contemporary, don't they? Do you sense a stillness about them, or perhaps a hidden energy? Editor: Definitely a stillness. I mean, they're seated, hooded, almost monk-like. But the colorful projections covering them are super vibrant and almost chaotic against their seated and shrouded figures. Is there a particular reason for that juxtaposition? Curator: I think that's where Kielnhofer's genius lies! The vibrant chaos might symbolize the constant flux of time, the endless stream of information and experiences bombarding us. While the stillness suggests the timeless wisdom, the observing presence that simply *is*, regardless of our temporal concerns. Maybe they are guardians of our collective memory, these strange figures silently prompting us to pause, reflect, and perhaps… laugh a little at the grand theater of human existence? It always tickles me when art winks. What do you think? Editor: It's true. Thinking of them as winking observers does change things. So, in a way, their power is in that quiet, reflective observation. The visual layering then becomes this rich tapestry of memory and present-day chaos. That gives me a lot to think about! Curator: Precisely! And that, my friend, is the beauty of encountering art – not just seeing, but feeling and pondering. Each gaze brings its own unique understanding, its own reflection. And isn't that a lovely thought?