CARBON OBELISK - Essen, Germany - Obelisks on Waymarking.com

"At a crossreads north of the Emscher, at the Schurenbach waste heap, an almost fourteen meters high obelisk was built. It alludes to the way – frequently imported from the east – obelisks were used during the Renaissance and Baroque eras as landmarks to distinguish squares and buildings. McBride’s obelisk, however, deliberately marks a non-place, a small, unspectacular spot in a kind of no-man’s-land. Set beneath a high-voltage power line and surrounded by bushes, the sculpture seems to have been left there by accident.
First impressions, however, can be deceptive: as a symbol of autonomous sculpture, the obelisk is McBride’s answer to the prominent landmarks by Raimund Kummer and Richard Serra nearby. Kummer’s 1987 sculpture Schwelle (Wave) can be found if one continues straight down the Emscher bicycle path, while Serra’s Bramme (1998) is a distinguishing feature atop the Schurenbach waste heap to the south.
McBride’s sculpture is also a reference to the region’s history as Germany’s mining center – the carbon used fort he sculpture is made from coal-based carbon fibers, and its shimmery, matte surface shows that it is an expensive, unusual material.
The Carbon Obelisk is a permanent piece of art and accessible at all times."
Source: Emscherkunst
(visit link)

Date Created/Placed: 2013 Address: Location: Altenessener Str. (approx. at a level with Waldemey Strasse), 45329 Essen Parking lot at Altessener Strasse (coming from the south) directly behind Zweigert Bridge on the right (diagonally across from Waldemey-Strasse) in Essen-Karnap. Walk alongside the parking lot in easterly direction to its end, and follow the cycling and footpath on the right towards Emscher Dyke. Turn right at the crossroads, and you will see the ‘Carbon Obelisk’ after another 6 metres Height: 14 meters Illuminated: no Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. What did you think of the obelisk? Did you learn anything? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   12/23/2015 Bonian visited it