Jeppe Hein, Danish, b. 1974, Bench Around the Lake, 2010, powder-coated galvanized steel. Commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Courtesy of the Artist; Johann König, Berlin; 303 Gallery, New York.

Bench Around the Lake is a series of 15 vivid yellow benches that interact with specific sites within the Park and along the bordering bank of the White River. Hein envisions the installation as one long bench that emerges from the ground, twists, turns and submerges again, forming a circuit around the Park’s 35-acre lake. The work challenges the assumption that a bench is made for passive sitting, encouraging visitors to explore less frequented areas of the Park and providing opportunities to sit, look, listen, interact and play.

Project Documentation

About the Artist

Copenhagen and Berlin–based artist Jeppe Hein’s previous works include labyrinths in various media (including mazes made of mirrors or motion-triggered sound) and sculptures that refuse to be static: they emit smoke and fire (Smoking Bench, 2003 and Burning Cube, 2005), or are programmed to vibrate or jump when approached (Independent Pedestal, 2002, Shaking Cube, 2004, and Walking Cube, 2004). Hein’s work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at ARoS: Aarhus Artmuseum, Denmark; Sculpture Centre, New York; Musée d'Art contemporain de Nîmes, France; Tate Liverpool; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York.