MRL 1992

Isa Genzken created this work, MRL, to explore the human body as it relates to architectural space. The gymnastic rings depicted here, hanging in mid-air, become a powerful symbol when considering Germany at the time of its creation. Consider that Genzken came of age in a postwar German society, where sports became newly important as a way of building a healthy populace in both body and mind. In the 1970s artists in Germany began to question the role of institutions in shaping the individual. Here, the gymnasium, a place that should theoretically promote health and well-being, is rendered as a rather sterile and oppressive space. The rings hang without bodies to animate them, alluding to an absent gymnast or athlete. This echoes the broader project of institutional critique, which analyzes the ways that bodies are encouraged to perform in specific ways. To better understand Genzken’s art, we can consider it in relation to architectural history, sports history, and the history of the German education system.