This is Ingmar's first typographic artwork in which he fuses letter art and abstraction. It stands out in its simplicity: on a bright yellow background, a black letter ‘i’ sits on the left and a bright red ‘M’ on the right. Both letters lean outwards, revealing a razor-sharp yellow hammer in the gap between, splitting the image in two.
The contrasts in red, yellow and black, and the lines, are sharp and modernist. The choice of metal as the medium, combined with the reflective high-gloss finish, results in a dominant and forceful presence.
‘Denkmal für die inoffiziellen Mitarbeiter’ is a monument to the ‘unofficial collaborators’ of the Stasi regime in the former German Democratic Republic– a network of volunteer informers. These collaborators were ordinary people: neighbours, colleagues, or even one of your own children. The monument serves as a reminder of a politicised society and is, as such, eerily timeless.
The visual language references 20th-century constructivist and propagandistic designs, but is now used here as a contemporary monument. This is not just an abstract composition, but a monumental, politically charged icon.
This monumental typographic work is not Ingmar’s only one; he also created a second one: ‘Weight, monument for Comma Seperated Values‘.
Features and specifications
Title: Denkmal für die inoffiziellen Mitarbeiter
Year: 2019
Software: SVG code
Process: Sublimation printing
Material: Aluminium
Dimensions: 80×80 cm