Hide and See(k) 2013

Jeppe Hein made this playful fountain, ‘Hide and See(k)’, as a dynamic sculpture. It’s all about the unpredictable dance of water and the joyous interaction it sparks. Hein isn't about concealing the process; he wants you to see how it works, or rather, how it plays. The sculpture is a circle of vertical water jets shooting up from the ground, creating a momentary, ever-shifting enclosure. Look closely and you’ll notice how the water doesn’t just shoot up randomly. There’s a rhythm, a pattern that invites you to step in and out, to gamble with getting wet. It’s a game of chance and anticipation. The material here is, of course, water - clear, fleeting, and reflective. It blurs the line between art and experience, and reminds me a little of Olafur Eliasson, where art becomes an environment, a space for exploration and sensory delight. Hein’s fountain embraces the beauty of impermanence. It reminds us that art, like life, is best enjoyed when we dive right in, even if it means getting a little splashed.