Studio Brynjar & Veronika’s installation casts a fleeting rainbow over the River Enz at Ornamenta

Nestled along the River Enz in Pforzheim, Germany, the Haug Rainbow Fountain emerges as a captivating figure, casting a delicate mist over the waters. This bronze sculpture, brought to life by Studio Brynjar and Veronika, embodies a fantastical fusion of an Icelandic elf and a water spirit, drawing inspiration from the folkloric whispers of the nearby Northern Black Forest. “Coming from Iceland, the rainbow represents a bridge connecting humans, elves, and the hidden folk,” Brynjar Sigurðarson shared with designboom. Despite Haug’s somewhat eerie appearance, with its melting skull exterior housing advanced sensors, it has the unique ability to catch sunlight and scatter it in a mesmerizing, rainbow-like effect. “He might seem a bit eerie at first glance, but he possesses the power to create stunning beauty, which is an interesting contradiction,” Veronika Sedlmair noted.

The unveiling of the Haug Rainbow Fountain took place at Ornamenta 2024, an innovative art and design event that spans across urban centers, spa towns, and valleys during the summer. As curator Jules van den Langenberg explained during a drive through the forest, “the Black Forest doesn’t confine art to a white cube,” allowing the installation to naturally integrate with its surroundings. While Haug is designed to be a permanent feature, taking a winter hiatus, the broader Ornamenta event will continue to captivate visitors until September 29, 2024.

The Rainbow Fountain by Studio Brynjar and Veronika, featured in the Ornamenta exhibition titled “Bad Databrunn: On Bladders, Rainbows, and Less Screen Time” curated by Jules van den Langenberg, is designed to draw individuals away from their digital devices and into urban spaces. This installation by the German-Icelandic artist duo enhances the cityscape with a whimsical alteration of natural elements along the River Enz, encouraging public engagement with the outdoors.

During their initial visit to Pforzheim in 2021, a city that had been devastated and subsequently rebuilt after World War II, the artists were captivated by the local landscape’s beauty, including its skies, valleys, and the River Enz. They were particularly fascinated by the river’s orientation from west to east, mirroring the sun’s path. Brynjar Sigurðarson remarked on the enchanting effect of the sunlight streaming through the riverbed at a sharp angle, which deeply influenced their artistic vision. This natural interplay of light and water sparked the foundational idea for their project, merging it with their ongoing interest in atmospheric optics. Sigurðarson pondered the possibility of crafting a rainbow that would majestically hover over the river, leveraging the phenomenon as the most recognized form of atmospheric optics.