German Inland Shipping Company Transports “Floating City”

“Attention, Art on Board,” has been the motto since Sunday for an elaborately staged transport currently sailing from the capital through the German waterways to the Ruhr area. 21 art objects by the artist-architect duo Julius von Bismarck and Marta Dyachenko are located on a pontoon belonging to the Rhenus German Inland Shipping Company. After arriving at the Duisburg harbor, the installation will cover the last miles to the Emscherkunstweg, where it will be exhibited under the title “Neustadt” starting at the end of April.

(Berlin/Duisburg) Residential buildings, churches, swimming pools, power plants, and bunkers: The models, weighing up to five tons and scaled at 1:25, are made of concrete, Plexiglas, wood, and stainless steel. Coming from the studio of Julius von Bismarck, they were loaded onto the transport ship at the Borsighafen in Berlin the day before their departure using a lattice mast crane. From Berlin, the tugboat along with the pontoon began its journey on Saturday via the Mittelland Canal, Dortmund-Ems Canal, and Rhine-Herne Canal to the Duisburg harbor.

The journey to the future exhibition site is part of the artistic concept, with the choice of the inland ship as a means of transport reflecting an engagement with ecological issues. At the same time, the objects of long-demolished buildings fit seamlessly into the particularly old-looking pontoon. The decelerated, sustainable journey is thus also an art performance.

Artworks Visible During the Journey

“At the request of the artists, we specifically selected an old pontoon for the transport. The sculptures can stand freely and prominently there, almost floating above the water surface and not enclosed in a dark cargo hold,” reports David Schütz, project manager of the German Inland Shipping Company.

“Together with Marta Dyachenko, I designed a city ensemble of buildings that were once found in the Ruhr area over the course of two years. They are concrete visions that, in this case, have not been realized. We are rebuilding them as a city of an unfulfilled future and inviting reflection,” explains the Berlin artist Julius von Bismarck.

Reminds of the History of Inland Shipping

“As a traditional Duisburg company, we have long been committed to activating the Rhine-Ruhr region on various levels. With the project ‘Neustadt’, added value has been created that recalls both the history of inland shipping and the distinctive character of our metropolitan area. Especially in these challenging times, it is a particularly positive impulse. The harbor team warmly welcomes the project,” explains duisport spokesperson Thomas Hüser.

The expected arrival is April 3. Then the building sculptures will be brought to their destination at the Duisburg Landscape Park-Nord and installed. The new site-specific work for the Emscherkunstweg – a collaboration between Urbane Künste Ruhr, Emschergenossenschaft, and Regionalverband Ruhr – is expected to be accessible to the public in April. Currently, there are 18 permanent artworks on the sculpture path along the Emscher visible in public space.

Photo: © Heinrich Holtgreve / Emscherkunstweg