Franziska Koch, 2003
Walking through the Rue de Romont, one of the busiest places in Freiburg, you will soon notice a motionless figure standing about 3 metres from the shop window of the Christ jeweller. She holds a shopping bag in her left hand and is dressed in grey from head to toe. Even her face and hands are in the same shade. A closer look reveals the figure of a crying woman whose tears are flowing down her body and are collected in a gutter. The Zurich-based Franziska Koch has succeeded in capturing the figure's figure and clothing in an impressive manner, true to nature. Fine details, such as the seams on the hooded jacket, could be captured precisely and contribute to the fact that passers-by could even mistake the figure for a living person.
The body parts such as hands and face were modelled on a friend of the artist's who suffered from lovesickness at the time when her features were being cast. For Renaissance artists, the aim was not only to shape visual reality, but also to make the emotional inner life visible through the facial expression and posture of a human figure; this was probably also the case in Koch's work. It is not uncommon for passers-by to be torn out of their thoughts and to stop irritated to look at the crying woman. Not only the flow of tears, but also the bent posture of the person illustrate the sorrowful emotional mood, which can captivate the viewer and even provoke sympathy.
This sculpture has established itself as one of the figures of the city centre.
Franziska Koch was invited by Pipilotti Rist to participate in the Belluard Bollwerk International Festival 2003. In this context, her sculpture "Trinkwasser" was installed on the rue de Romont and inaugurated on July 3, 2003. Following the positive reactions of the population who named it "La Pleureuse", the Cultural Commission of the City of Fribourg decided to acquire it.
Information
Fribourg Tourisme et Région
Place Jean-Tinguely 1
Case postale 448
1700 Fribourg
Rue de Romont
1700 Fribourg
