In Einbeck, Germany, artist Martin Binder's "Balance Bench" installation engages park-goers in a playful exploration of social interaction and cooperation. The bench's design requires at least two people to maintain balance, reflecting on how public spaces and social gatherings have evolved post-pandemic. With its roots originally intended for a public art festival in 2021, the piece underscores the changed societal awareness of physical proximity during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging communal reflection and conversation in outdoor settings.
"It cannot be used alone-it demands awareness, consensus, and cooperation between people to become a functional public space," he says.
"The pandemic made us hyper-aware of proximity in public spaces," he says. "This bench interrogates that awareness through play."
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