Mikado 45_250 2013

Werner Haypeter made Mikado 45_250, a work with clear plastic, color and sticks. It could be read as an oblique commentary on the art world. The title evokes the game of Mikado, also known as pick-up sticks, a game of skill where players try to remove sticks from a pile without disturbing the others. Perhaps this is a metaphor for the artist's delicate negotiation within the established art system. The transparent plastic and carefully placed colors could represent the often-unseen structures and rules that govern artistic production and exhibition. Haypeter, working in Germany, may be reflecting on the legacy of the Bauhaus, an institution that sought to integrate art, craft, and technology. Is he challenging the hierarchies within the art world, or is he reinforcing them through a display of minimalist elegance? Ultimately, understanding this artwork requires us to delve into the history of art institutions and the social dynamics that shape artistic practice. Through gallery documentation, reviews, and critical essays, we might piece together a fuller picture of Haypeter's intentions and the broader context in which Mikado 45_250 was created and received.