‘’Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?’’ - Robert Browning
Babel´s Stair was designed as a temporary installation for the exhibition “Vi kan bo her mens vi venter” set up in the south harbour of Aarhus, Denmark. It was built with materials borrowed from local companies on the harbour.
The instillation was conceived as a main entrance to the exhibition which dealt with themes from the Anthropocene- the proposed current geological epoch, in which characteristics of the environment are now defined by man’s influence upon it.
The visitor approaches the installation facing the exhibition building and the city. As the visitor ascends the stair to the top, s/he is turned nearly 180 degrees and presented with a view out over Aarhus Harbour. The contrasting perspectives offer an introductory glimpse into man’s near total influence over his environment.
Due to its success the stair was adopted into the Rethink Activism Festival- part of Aarhus 2017.
