1 Saint-Hilaire Church

2016, Bricks, Variable Dimensions

Horizontal Alphabet (black) is a commissioned work by the National Center for Visual Arts, consisting of a paving of rectangular black ceramic bricks. Many works by the German artist Katinka Bock reflect a particular attention to human scale. This is evident in Horizontal Alphabet (black), where each brick's format is shaped by the imprint of a hand or foot. This piece is founded on repetition but also celebrates the diversity of humanity: nothing is ever identical. It takes the individuality and universality of human beings as its starting points. The hand, the foot, the thumb, the femur—all are measurements of the body, which have historically served (or still serve) as units of measurement. There is no standard brick size; these units of measurement vary depending on regions, countries, and cultures, influenced by traditions, uses, or trends.