Wegweiser
Projects
Year: 2020
Edition: Unique
Technique: Industrial acrylic paint on concrete
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.Wegweiser" (Signpost) is a monumental, site-specific wall and ceiling painting created by Swiss artist Daniel Göttin. Commissioned as part of the IBA Basel 2020 (International Building Exhibition) under the "Active Stations" (Aktive Bahnhöfe) program, the project is located in a high-traffic pedestrian underpass at the Town Hall, adjacent to the main railway station in Lörrach, Germany. The intervention aimed to radically transform a previously dark, utilitarian transit space into a vibrant, organized urban landmark that enhances the safety and orientation of commuters.
Artistic Vision & Technique
True to its name, the project uses the language of Concrete Art as a functional navigational tool. The installation is divided into five distinct sections, utilizing a primary color palette of signal yellow, carmin red, and ultramarine blue to contrast with the raw concrete and sandstone architecture.
The yellow triangular shapes in the initial sections create a dynamic perspective, pulling the pedestrian into the tunnel. In the central areas, red blocks mark significant corner junctions, while the staircase sections utilize bold blue triangles to support vertical movement. The ceiling mural features rhythmic stripes that break up the tunnel's length, organizing the space into a cohesive, walkable composition. By applying these geometric "signposts," Göttin transforms the architecture into an immersive, three-dimensional painting.
Context & Significance
As part of the IBA Basel’s urban development strategy, Wegweiser explores the potential of transit hubs to become high-quality public spaces rather than mere "non-places." Göttin masterfully demonstrates how constructive art can serve a psychological function: reducing the sense of enclosure in underground passages and replacing it with clarity and visual engagement. It is a prime example of how minimal, non-objective art can humanize urban infrastructure and foster a sense of security through aesthetic order.
Key Technical Details
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Scope: Full underpass intervention (5 sections), including walls, ceilings, and staircases.
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Medium: Site-specific wall and ceiling painting.
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Materials: High-durability industrial acrylic paint on concrete and plaster.
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Location: Pedestrian underpass, Town Hall/Main Station, Lörrach, Germany.
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Program: IBA Basel 2020 – "Active Stations."
Bring Art to Your Space
This project illustrates our artists' ability to engage with monumental urban scales—from functional navigational systems to immersive color experiences. IdeelArt invites you to commission a unique, site-specific installation tailored to the architectural and emotional character of your project. For inquiries regarding public murals, transit interventions, 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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