O.T. 1407

This modern looking harp, where colour and shape constantly shift, continue Stefan Reiss' fascination with the theme of transformation. Working with a linguist, Reiss developed a specific colour palette based on the Latin Alphabet for this artwork.

Each colour corresponds to a written letter or reflects the way sound is physically formed in the mouth. The shapes and colours that you see are a visual transformation of the original letters. Vowels form a spectrum of greys, while the consonants are different hues.

Underneath the dynamic interplay of colour and shape lies a highly systematic process that Reiss uses to limit his own artistic practice, challenging him to explore the potential of constrained artistic strategies. Alongside alphabets and geometrical elements like lines, beams and polygons, Reiss is using Morse code in O.T. 1407, a subtle nod to a shipping language used in the Netherlands until 1998.

Combining the digital imagery with the harp-like structure, Reiss creates a three-dimensional world of colour, material and form that has an architectural quality. The animated light and the form of the object itself become tensile-like structures that depend upon one another yet retain their own identity. Together, they evoke something almost musical: a flow of movement, a sequence of phrases, or the quiet rhythm of a poem.

About the Artist

In his oeuvre, Reiss has been investigating drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, projection and light as an artistic medium for over fifteen years. At the core of his practice lies a sustained exploration of the concept of transformation. Reiss understands transformation as a multi-dimensional process that unfolds across both analogue and digital realms. His approach centers on human perception, the haptic experience of the artwork, the legibility of space and the comprehension of spatiality itself. Through the interconnected transformation of physical and virtual dimensions, he forges links between art and technology, research and innovation, interdisciplinarity and immersion - always with a vision of making both worlds tangible and fostering their interactive perception.
Reiss studied Fine Arts / Sculpture at the Weissensee Kunsthochschule in Berlin and attended the master class with Prof. Inge Mahn and Prof. Berndt Wilde. He is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors (London, UK) and BBK Berlin and lives and works in Berlin (Germany).
His works were shown in international exhibitions such as Trades District Public Art (Bloomington, US), Light Night Leeds (Leeds, UK), Museum of Contemporary Art (Shanghai, CN), Die Blaue Nacht (Nuremberg, DE), Today Art Museum (Beijing, CN), Canary Wharf Summer Lights (London, UK), Himmel unter Berlin (Berlin, DE), Beijing TaiKoo Li Sanlitun Light Festival (Beijing, CN), European Media Art Festival (Osnabrueck, DE).

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© Janus van der Eijnden
© Job Tammes