As part of the 11th edition of the renowned Engadin Art Talks (E.A.T.), a renowned forum for art, architecture, design, film, science, and literature, Swiss percussionist and composer Fritz Hauser performed a drum piece inside James Turrell’s skyspace ‘Piz Uter’.
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The skyspace was completed in 2005 in Zuoz, a Swiss village in the upper Engadin. The structure resembles an archaic-looking cylinder built from dry stone masonry from the outside, but on the inside it features two openings, one strategically directed towards the valley, and one overhead oculus that presents uninterrupted views of the sky.
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Like Turrell’s other skyspaces, the aperture in the ceiling is constructed in such a way that occupants cannot perceive the thickness of the roof plane. This gesture creates a two-dimensional effect with the sky appearing as a flat painting. At dusk, integrated lighting allows this ‘2D’ image to expand across the entire space in ever-changing color combinations.
The client behind the project — the Walter A. Bechtler Foundation — tapped Zurich-based firm OAP architektur & projekte in 2005 to work with James Turrell to realize the skyspace. OAP worked closely with the artist to draw up the technical drawings and planning documents. The team also worked with lighting and illumination specialists familiar with Turrell’s work. “Although the ‘skyspaces’ represent a series of similar artworks in the artist’s oeuvre, each of them is unique — marked by its geometric shape and especially the individual geographic location,” OAP explains.
Listen to the drum piece by Fritz Hauser below.
