Streifen und Stellen
Projects
Year: 2026
Edition: Unique
Technique: Precast white-colored concrete; red-coated steel
Framed: No
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SECURITY
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AUTHENTICITY
All artworks on IdeelArt are original, signed, delivered directly from the artist's studio, and come with a certificate of authenticity."Streifen und Stelen" (Stripes and Steles) is a large-scale, permanent public art intervention created by Swiss artist Daniel Göttin for the exterior grounds of the Gutsmatte administrative building in Liestal, Switzerland. Developed between 1993 and 1997, the project is a definitive example of Göttin’s ability to weave minimalist sculpture into the functional fabric of urban architecture.
Artistic Vision & Technique
In this project, Daniel Göttin explores the concept of "Relationships" (Beziehungen). He responds to the irregular shape of the plaza and the arrangement of the surrounding buildings with a dual system of horizontal and vertical elements:
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The Stripes: Six white-colored concrete strips are embedded flush into the ground. They run transversely across the plaza, organizing the horizontal surface.
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The Steles: Freestanding, red-coated steel elements emphasize the longitudinal direction. These steles act as visual signals and relate directly to the human scale in their height.
The steles are formally diverse—using a rhythmic interplay of hollow spaces and solid planes to create a "field of tension." Depending on the viewer's standpoint, the optical relationships and perspectives constantly shift, effectively redefining the space with every step.
Context & Significance
Göttin precisely analyzed the function of the site: the Gutsmatte plaza is not a place for lingering, but a space of transit. Pedestrians cross it on their way to the train station, the administration offices, or the hospital. The installation accompanies this movement, offering passersby a series of shifting perceptions. It invites them to see new connections between architecture, art, and the human presence. As art historian Hedy Graber noted, Göttin’s intervention "checks" the architecture, turning the act of crossing the plaza into a conscious, aesthetic experience.
Key Technical Details
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Medium: Permanent site-specific public art installation.
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Materials: Precast white-colored concrete (ground elements); red-coated steel (steles).
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Scope: 6 ground stripes and a field of vertical steles.
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Location: Gutsmatte administrative building, Liestal, Switzerland.
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Year: 1993–1997.
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Themes: Spatial relationships, human scale, architectural dialogue, transit spaces.
Bring Art to Your Space
This project illustrates our artists' ability to engage with monumental urban scales—from permanent public art to immersive sculptural fields. IdeelArt invites you to commission a unique, site-specific installation tailored to the architectural and emotional character of your project. For inquiries regarding permanent public art commissions or large-scale abstract works, please contact our curatorial team.
Daniel Göttin is a Swiss artist whose work is divided between site-specific projects and coloured or painted objects for walls. He lives and works in Basel.
Education / Residencies
Initially working as a technical draftsman for an engineering company, Daniel Göttin later entered the School of Visual Art in Basel, where he graduated in 1990.
He has held artist residencies at the Fremantle Art Foundation (now Artsource), Australia in 1990, Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas in 1993, the Shed im Eisenwerk, Switzerland in 1994, the:artist:network in New York in 2005, and Youkobo Art Space in Tokyo in 2007 and 2013/2014.
Technique
Göttin works with common industrial materials such as paint, tape, wood, metal, polystyrene, plastic, and carpet. The concept for an installation depends on the site and its conditions. For his objects and paintings, he uses similar materials, examining the subjective nature of perception and playfully responding to the characteristics of architectural spaces. His works made of aluminum and painted MDF direct attention to the space within the object, highlighting the interplay of light and shadow, thus creating a new quality of perception between concrete and abstract reality.
Inspiration
His artistic background relates mainly to Minimal Art, Concrete Art, and Conceptual Art. Besides these tendencies, he also incorporates aspects of Dada/Merz, Constructivism, and Arte Povera. For over 25 years, Göttin has focused on creating temporary and permanent site-specific installations, public art, objects, paintings, drawings, collages, and prints.
Relevant Quotes
“Daniel’s art possesses clarity and thoughtfulness. But this clarity is not the result of a fixed or repetitive position or strategy. Instead, his art is iterative, responding to changing conditions and environments. Different aspects of his work, both the wall pieces and the objects made for the wall, are inter-related and reflect on each other. There is a wholeness to what Daniel refers to as an entity—his body of work.” (Chris Ashley, Minus Space)
Notable Distinctions
Daniel Göttin has received grants from the City of Basel, Switzerland.
Exhibitions
Göttin has organised over 60 solo exhibitions and projects since 1990 at museums, galleries, and public collections across Europe, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and the United States.
Together with his partner Gerda Maise, he founded the art space Hebel_121 in Basel in 1998, providing a platform for installative exhibitions. Hebel_121 continues to showcase innovative art.
Wenger, Zurich, Switzerland
Conny Dietzschold, Sydney, Australia
Gen, Tokyo, Japan
Minus Space, Brooklyn, NY
Photos credit (from top)
- Daniel Göttin
- Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich
- Serge Hasenböhler
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