BLOCH is a multidisciplinary , collaborative and participatory art project initiated by Swiss artist duo , Com & Com ( Marcus Gossolt and Johannes M Hedinger ).
NEWS
Thinking outside the BLOCH
BLOCH is a multidisciplinary , collaborative and participatory art project initiated by Swiss artist duo , Com & Com ( Marcus Gossolt and Johannes M Hedinger ).
The transdisciplinary project combines contemporary art with traditional popular culture and fosters dialogue between people , by sharing traditions , customs and stories from different cultures .
A ‘ bloch ’ is the lowest , branch-less , piece of a large tree trunk . According to an Appenzell custom bearing the same name , the stump of the last spruce to have been felled in winter is drawn back and forth between the two villages , Urnäsch and Herisau , by 20 men . At the end of this day-long procession , the bloch is then auctioned off to the highest bidder in Urnäsch village square . As a rule , someone from the region will acquire it and use it to produce a special piece of furniture or tiles and shingles .
In 2011 , Swiss art duo Com & Com were one of the first non-locals to purchase the bloch tree trunk at a historic peak price of CHF-3000 ( Swiss Francs ). Since then BLOCH has been on its journey travelling around the world , making at least one stop on every continent : after first stations in Europe ( among others in Bern , Basel , Berlin , Karlsruhe , St . Gallen and Zurich ), Asia ( China / Shanghai , Taipei and Singapore ) and North America ( North Dakota , Minnesota , Cincinnati , New York ).
6 FEB / MARCH 2017 //