In the spring of 2000, the Karlsruhe-based artist Harald F. Müller created the monumental lettering installation ‘Singen’ on the north-facing wall of the DRK building in Singen. This site-specific work was commissioned as part of the State Garden Show and draws on the urban character of the busy Hauptstraße.
The bright neon-pink letters against a blue-black background immediately catch the eye of motorists and pedestrians. From a distance, the installation resembles a flat billboard; up close, the three-dimensional effect of the letters – mounted 50 cm in front of the wall – unfolds. Müller’s concept combines legibility, abstraction, movement and space: as people pass by, their perception shifts and the lettering becomes a powerful, sensually tangible object.
The sculpture subtly comments on Singen’s character as a car-friendly town and the role of art in public spaces. At the same time, it offers a symbolic space for experience that reinterprets the urban environment and invites people to consciously perceive their surroundings. Müller’s installation is a prominent example of contemporary art in public spaces in Singen and combines provocative design with local identity.
