The Fourth Pole
The interdisciplinary expedition consists of:
VIDEO: shows the declaration of The Fourth Pole FLAG: represents The Fourth Pole
PHOTOGRAPHY: shows expedition equipment
EXPEDITION DIARY: consists of diary excerpts from the expedition to the lowest point on earth
THE EMBASSY OF THE FOURTH POLE: a setting to collect stories of the Fourth Pole Area
PHOTOGRAPHY: shows expedition equipment
EXPEDITION DIARY: consists of diary excerpts from the expedition to the lowest point on earth
THE EMBASSY OF THE FOURTH POLE: a setting to collect stories of the Fourth Pole Area
The installation ‘Der Vierte Pol’ (‘The Fourth Pole’) takes us on an expedition made by the artists to claim an unexplored terrain. The Fourth Pole is – in contrast to the Third Pole Mount Everest – the lowest dry point on the Earth. Located in an area that was previouslypart of the Dead Sea, the Fourth Pole is the result of the shrinking Dead Sea level. Hensche and Wirsching explore the “post-apocalyptic” landscape equipped with instruments traditionally used for territorial expansion as well as contemporary technology of sur- veillance and warfare. Thus ‘The Fourth Pole’ unfolds a timeless narrative that investigates territorial sover- eignty as well as the desire to become an explorer in a widely documented and recorded world.
text by Tomke Braun
The Fourth Pole Flag
Installation at the Dead Sea
Pole: 4m
Flag: 150 x 90 cm, screenprint, handmade
Edition: 50
Size: 50 x 30 cm
The flag refers to the place where it’s installed. A white hole surrounded by the dessert’s yellow sand. It stands for the deepest dry point on earth that we called “The Fourth Pole”.
Dialogue Between Two Poles
Photography (C-Print)
25 x 17 cm
The photo shows the equipment needed to reach the two opposing extremes of the earth. The shoe on the right was worn during the first successful ascent in 1953 to the highest point on earth and was devel- oped by the company SATRA Technology. With the help of this company I developed a shoe to descend to the lowest dry point on earth.
The Embassy
Sculpture / performative installation
flagpole: 5 m,
flag: 2 x 3 m
visa: screen print on toweling, 18 x 29 cm
The Embassy sees itself as a setting to collect stories from the lowest dry point on earth. By putting up a flag on the roof of the artist’s residence Art Cube Art- ists’ Studios, Jerusalem, the institution is transformed into an embassy. During regular embassy opening hours in Israel, visitors to the office can apply for a visa by telling stories from the Dead Sea. During the con- versation, these stories are documented in the form of drawings to create a visual archive. The visa consists of a frayed hand towel on which is screenprinted asmall yellow flag that stands for the lowest dry point on earth, as well as a certificate confirming its receipt.
Sculpture / performative installation
flagpole: 5 m,
flag: 2 x 3 m
visa: screen print on toweling, 18 x 29 cm
The Embassy sees itself as a setting to collect stories from the lowest dry point on earth. By putting up a flag on the roof of the artist’s residence Art Cube Art- ists’ Studios, Jerusalem, the institution is transformed into an embassy. During regular embassy opening hours in Israel, visitors to the office can apply for a visa by telling stories from the Dead Sea. During the con- versation, these stories are documented in the form of drawings to create a visual archive. The visa consists of a frayed hand towel on which is screenprinted asmall yellow flag that stands for the lowest dry point on earth, as well as a certificate confirming its receipt.
