between 1991 and 2000 numerous, sometimes room-size stick installations were made. installations like "strange houses in the cities" as well as the "labyrinth" temporarily blocked the public traffic.

first stick-installation: in our time: balance ii,1992 80 wooden sticks, length each 265 cm, acrylic galerie hof akkerboom photo: copyright friedrich wedell

foreign houses in the cities
acrylic on wood
© roswitha steinkopf

structure (1999)
acrylic on wood
ca. 200 sticks, lenghth each 270-300 cm,
installation at nordskulptur 2, neumünster

© lars hennings

do not believe it (2000)

suspending installation,17 pieces,
wooden platform 340x340x15 cm, acrylic, resin
nord art 4, alte wagenremise, büdelsdorf
© roswitha steinkopf

commissioned work for state house of schleswig-holstein, kiel (2007)
acrylic on wood, 1350 x 5 x 2,5 cm cm
"horizon"
© roswitha steinkopf

three lines, commissioned by the international garden exhibition rostock, 2003 three rows of coloured pipes (blue, red and yellow) cut through three slightly elevating hills. the optical height appears horizontally the same. however, the visible length of the pipes adapt themselves proportionally to the raising hills.

"the gentle way in which the pipes vibrate is very beautiful, but what is really beautiful is leaning against one and swaying with it." (comment from a visitor to the exhibition)

blades (1999) pipe installation: 30 pipes, height 500 cm nord art büdelsdorf

(1999)

painting the poles, carlshütte, büdelsdorf
© friedrich wedell

"greetings" - a work commissioned by the cultural programm of the german pavilion - was an interactive installation by roswitha steinkopf in the german pavilion during the schleswig-holstein-week of the world exhibition expo 2000 540 brightly coloured wave segments form a three-dimensional sea-ensemble with peaks and troughs in blue, yellow, red and green. this choice of colours could be seen as a symbol for the natural resources of schleswig-holstein: the blue sea, the yellow rape fields, red brick houses or poppy fields and green pastures. however, this homage to schleswig-holstein made it to the heart of the world exhibition not as a contemplative mosaic field. given the predominance of the latest communication technology at the expo, the contribution by the northernmost state of germany also had to be characterised by interactivity. thus the terms of the competition, won by the artist with her contribution "greetings". roswitha steinkopf`s idea was for guests and passers-by to use the felt pens provided to write a greeting of their choosing to schleswig-holstein on the coloured wave parts. in this way the artist seized the unique opportunity to compile individual handwritten reactions by an international public to her home state: almost 7000 greetings from more than 70 nations within a few days. hand-written texts suggest presence, i.e. the opposite of the rootless absence sent off into the data network via the keyboard. handwriting leaves an unmistakeable trace which allows conclusions on individuality and time to be made. it offers a substitute for the absent person and delays the passing of a past presence. this literally inscriptive function of writing, to which the work "greetings" was dedicated, has repeatedly been used in contemporary art. roswitha steinkopf`s work at expo 2000 reveals itself as a conscious artistic reaction to the continuing, apparently unchecked mechanisation and mediasation of communication. disguised as disarmingly everyday simplicity. martin henatsch: gretings in the age of wap, chat room and e-mail. the schleswig-holstein installation by roswitha steinkopf at expo 2000, in : roswitha steinkopf: greetings, [kiel], edition sommer, 2001 translation: peter bowen, london

detail of the installation before the performance
© roswitha steinkopf

the action...

detail at the end of the performance