A Visit with Roman Signer: Explosions, Snow, and Elemental Sculpture in St. Gallen
On August 25, 2007, Roman Signer, a Swiss artist around seventy years old, exhibited his studio work in St. Gallen, emphasizing elemental forces. His creations include sculptures and performances that incorporate explosions, water, air, and combustion, frequently captured on 8mm film. Among his displays were a weathered mountain-climber's tent, a "Ruin" from one of his actions, and a long iron pipe that propelled a black umbrella from a gunpowder-filled briefcase. He also engaged visitors with a "participant" piece using water-filled hoses on his patio. In a storeroom, he showcased snow from a previous snowfall, which the museum sought to insure for 20,000 Swiss francs. Signer presented catalogues featuring explosion caps and referenced his early experiences in a pressure-cooker factory, with explosives stored in a pea green safe.
Key facts
- Roman Signer is a Swiss artist known for sculptures and actions involving explosions and natural forces.
- A visit occurred on August 25, 2007 at Signer's house in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Signer showed a tent ruined by an explosion, calling it a "Ruin" of an action.
- He demonstrated a piece where water-filled hoses cause rubber boots to walk on a patio.
- Signer preserved snow in a deep freeze refrigerator, later exhibited in a museum at -20°C.
- The museum tried to insure the snow sculpture for 20,000 Swiss francs, but Signer said it was irreplaceable.
- Signer stores explosives in a pea green safe with a no-smoking sticker.
- He discussed volcanoes like Stromboli and early work in a pressure-cooker factory.
Entities
Artists
- Roman Signer
- Susan Sontag
Locations
- St. Gallen
- Switzerland
- Appenzell
- Japan
- Italy