The ``Karolinenplatz`` (The Karoline square)
In the well-known Karolinenviertel, a new square - located near the ``Gnadenkirche`, which is situated directly opposite the exhibition fair - is being developed for the residents and visitors of the quarter.
One of the two roads which formerly led around the church has been closed off to accommodate a pedestrian zone. The newly formed square allows the existing architectural highlights i.e. the church and the parish hall to be set in scene, which now makes them appear as an actual part of the Karolinenviertel contrary to their former secluded position.

The sculpture
The ensemble of the already existing monuments will be completed in Autumn 2008 by the walkable concrete sculpture which has a base area of approx. 60m². The sculpture weighs approx. 100 tonnes. It will be produced in single components and will be assembled in October 2008.
The motif of the sculpture is most easily recognisable from a bird’s eye view:
The motif is made up of five stylised numbers overlapping one another which stand for the postal code of the quarter: ``20357``.  These numbers can be seen in several other murals from Heiko Zahlmann in the Karolinenviertel. This trend has partly derived out of his graffiti background because in this scene postal codes are often used for completing an artists name. Using this trend sprayers show that they identify themselves with the quarter they live in.

Consequently, not only the artist but also the residents of the Karolinenviertel are given something they can identify with, as the postal code can, as a common denominator, function as a meeting point or maybe even become the modern-day ‘village square` where news is exchanged and people spend time together.
The five postal code figures are displayed in different shades of grey and have been created according to Zahlmann`s typically reduced picture language. The consistent puristic appearance of the sculpture respects the uniqueness of the neighbouring architectural monuments and stimulates a dialogue between historical and modern elements.
Constructing the sculpture completely out of concrete is radical however the expectation of creating something that is straining after an effect was avoided.
Zahlmann says, ``It was important to me, to not compromise my picture language, to not bend backwards but at the same time not to lose respect for the task. ``
On the one hand, the sculpture provokes a confrontation, while on the other it gives the square an original note by displaying an individual artistic stance. Despite the vitality of the material the association of concrete as a mass building material with little quality still exists. The sculpture however opposes this prejudice with sophistication and elegance. Is this the ``Renaissance of the fair-faced concrete`` proposed by the famous Professor of Architecture in Heidelberg, Thilo Hilpert?

The artist
Heiko Zahlmann has been working in the graffiti scene for over 15 years during which he made his hobby into his profession.
He has been living in Hamburg`s Karolinenviertel for several years. There, he created a large open air gallery that has significantly changed the image of the quarter.
The designing of a 2000m² project on Blohm and Voss`s dock in 2001, as well as painting on a 38m high church tower in 1999, with an entry in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ attracted international attention.
For approximately 10 years, Zahlmann also exhibits his works of art in museums and galleries.
His pieces have in the last couples of years moved away from large formats sprayed onto walls and canvas`s and instead they have developed into relief sculptures and sculptures themselves.
He increasingly ignores the unspoken rules of the graffiti scene and in the last years he actually even worked without the use of colour. Zahlmann sets a high value on continuous further development. In the last couple of years he used fair-faced concrete slabs as a background to paint on as an alternative to canvas and now this working material is also being used for the sculpture.
The structures which were formerly imitated through painting were transformed into three dimensional forms which do not require any colour but all the same never disclaim their origin.
The art critic Hajo Schiff, terms the works of Heiko Zahlmann as ``graffiti without graffiti``, which could tempt amateur sprayers to place their trademark on his sculpture. However in contrast to murals which have been sprayed over, the sculpture cannot risk being destroyed by such attacks.
It remains to be seen, how much impairment the sculpture will undergo since there is no experience of this kind until now. So far, world wide this is a one of a kind project of a graffiti sculpture with such dimensions in a public space.

More infos about Heiko Zahlmann: www.heikozahlmann.de

Thanks to

the Kunstkommission der Kulturbehörde Hamburg, Mrs. Mittelberg, Mrs De Temple, Mr. Minkenberg and the Behörde Management des öffentlichen Raumes des Bezirkes Hamburg Mitte, the City of  Hamburg, Mrs Weber, Mrs Heimfarth, the Sanierungsbeirat Karolinenviertel, Mrs Ehret,  Mr Herbst of  GHP, Katinka Horn, Peter Keller, Boris Castro and all who supported this project.