「布穀鳥鐘」，是由德國時鐘匠所發明的掛牆鐘具，擁有豪華的外觀和精密的結構，最特別的是，只要時分針到半點或整點時，時鐘的小木門就會打開，可愛的布穀鳥會從中彈出，「咕咕咕」地報時。而在「布穀鳥鐘」剛面世的時代，因為價格高昂，只有收入優渥的家庭才負擔得起，所以同時是一個中產階級的象徵。
「布穀鳥鐘」一直是我夢寐以求，奢望可以收藏的鐘具，前陣子在搜有沒有，卻意外地讓我發現這個由藝術家Guido Zimmermann設計，一組組以「粗野主義」建築為主題，取「布穀鳥鐘」中的「Cuckoo」，以及建築的「Block」，組合成這個叫「Cuckoo Block」的掛牆鐘，令人好奇這個藝術品的由來，以及為甚麼以「粗野主義」建築，作為鐘具的題材。
The cuckoo clock is a pendulum-regulated wall clock thought to originate from Germany. It is characterised by sumptuous and elaborate details, with a mechanical cuckoo which calls on the hour and half hour. Due to its expensive craftsmanship where it was popularised, the classic cuckoo clock was seen as a symbol for the prosperity of the middle class and considered a kind of luxury for the home.
It’s always been on my wish list for collection. One day, my research led to Guido Zimmermann’s Cuckoo Blocks – a retake on the household staple which combines the soul of the traditional Black Forest cuckoo clock with the shell of brutalist architecture.
Guido Zimmermann，與「布穀鳥鐘」同樣來自德國，沒有經歷學院的正式藝術訓練，反而是從法蘭克福的街頭上，透過長期對壁畫和塗鴉等公共義術的觀摩，造就出他自成一家的藝術創作。Zimmermann擅長用帆布繪畫，同時也會畫壁畫和雕塑，這個「Cuckoo Block」掛牆鐘系列就是他在2018年時的作品。
A German native like the cuckoo clock, Zimmermann has never received formal, institutional training in art. Rather, he began his artistic career in the graffiti scene on the streets of Frankfurt, enthusiastic about the freedom of realising his creativity while developing a practice around canvas, oversized walls and sculptures. The Cuckoo Blocks series is Zimmermann’s project in 2018.
「Cuckoo Block」系列中，重現了許多有名的「粗野主義」建築，包括像由巴浩斯建築師Marcel Breuer設計的La Flaine飯店，和現代主義建築師Ernő Goldfinger的Glenkerry House公寓大樓等有名的「粗野主義」建築。將昨日代表中產階級的豪華鐘具，將之改頭換面，變成一棟棟供大量人居住，功能主義鋼筋混凝土建築，當中除了暗示著城市生活的變化，也很符合藝術家本身的生涯；比起令人羨藝術殿堂，他更重視的是藝術對公共的意義。
Staged in the Cuckoo Blocks are iconic brutalist structures – from Marcel Breuer’s Bauhaus hotel “La Flaine” to Ernö Goldfinger modernist “Glenkerry House”. An answer to the symbol of luxury, Zimmermann’s Cuckoo Blocks depict the fluxes of today’s urban and social life in residential tower blocks. They almost present a parallel to the artist’s career – not bending to the sways of artistic grandeur but rather, spurring contemporary resonance between art and the public space.
