Wa(a)gnis (Venture / Risk)

Project for new building at Alter Markt 6, 14467 Potsdam; 2018 / 2024

Client: Wohnungsgenossenschaft „Karl Marx“ Potsdam eG, Potsdam. Architects: vangeisten.marfels architekten

Material: Aluminum, water-jet cut, powder-coated; spolia from artificial stone
Dimensions: 390 x 280 cm (figure), 520 x 80 cm (frieze)

This work was created as part of a competition for the redevelopment of figurative façade decoration on a partially reconstructed building at the Alter Markt in Potsdam. The façade draws inspiration from a historical model that stood on this site until 1945, though it is not being reconstructed exactly. The competition aimed to explore ways of recapturing the visual richness of historic façades without merely replicating their forms. This question remains highly relevant today, as reconstructions of historic city centers—such as the current efforts in Frankfurt am Main—play an increasingly prominent role in urban planning.

Originally, a sandstone allegory of Abundantia (Abundance) adorned the roofline, pouring her cornucopia over the city of Potsdam. To her left, a figure gestured despairingly toward the surrounding ruins, holding a cloth to wipe away her tears. This group referenced the devastating city fire of 1795, shortly before the house itself was built. Abundantia’s gifts were meant to console the weeping figure, offering hope for a brighter future. Above the entrance, a relief depicted putti extinguishing a fire, complementing the narrative.

Today, we no longer understand abundance as a purely divine gift. Where there is abundance, there is often scarcity elsewhere—it is a symbol of imbalance. Reimagining the original figures by swapping their positions, Abundantia now sits on the left, pouring out her cornucopia, while the weeping figure, turned away on the right, remains empty-handed, facing an uncertain future.

The central idea of my project is to explore what happens when a contemporary Abundantia recklessly wastes her riches without concern for their distribution, while a fire already erupts in the frieze above the door.

For the frieze, I incorporated a preserved fragment from the original building. Positioned in its “historical” location, it is already falling, threatening to trigger new disaster. Flames appear behind it. The figures to the left are absorbed in their own concerns, oblivious to the fire or the falling stone. On the right, a man attempts to beat back the flames with a bare tree—or perhaps inadvertently fans them—accompanied by a “media representative.” Meanwhile, an elderly woman quietly slips out of the scene, carrying a suitcase marked by the passage of time.

Wolf von Waldow, 2018/2024

Jury statement from the prize committee protocol:

“Wonderful! This is exactly what our city of Potsdam needs. The work translates the original figure group into a contemporary silhouette with remarkable success. The transformation of the cornucopia and the handkerchief into a metaphor for unequal global distribution is an unmatched visual statement. The project is daring in multiple ways: in its technique, which bears no resemblance to the weight of traditional sandstone sculpture; in its clear conceptual approach of bringing historical themes into the present and interpreting them in a contemporary context without erasing their links to the original building; and in the use of the historic relief fragment in the frieze. Waagnis is a compelling integration of historical technique with accessible, contemporary political and social commentary, understandable to today’s viewers while offering enduring inspiration for future generations. The silhouette technique delights with its lightness, freshness, and versatility. The finely detailed elements invite repeated discovery. Although the work references historical models, it is comprehensible even without knowledge of that background, contributing meaningfully to current and future societal dialogue.”