Jan Köchermann (*1967)

Shafts, tunnels, underpasses—at the centre of Jan Köchermann's (*1967) artistic practice are urban non-places and unusual perspectives. Since 1996, the Hamburg-based artist has shown a continuous interest in the shaft as a sculptural element. The work »Pierced Building« is inspired by the so-called bridge piercing, which is located at the top of the nasal bone right between the eyes, producing a simultaneously irritating and eye-catching interference with the facial architecture. In view of its triangular architecture resembling the form of a nasal bone, »Pierced Building« was originally planned for the Flatiron Building in New York City. The work was conceived as a disconcerting sculptural intervention in the urban public space. Just when the plans, agreements and permissions were virtually complete, the event of 9/11 rendered impossible all attempts at piercing a building. Köchermann's »Pierced Building« is an iconic work reflecting his preoccupation with the shaft as a means of perforation of the given, of creating permeability and thus: non-places.