John Körmeling (Eindhoven, 1951) graduated as a civil engineer from the Technical University in Eindhoven, where he currently resides and works. His work, a fusion of sculpture, architecture, and design, comprises of projects – both realized and conceptual – and ingenious concepts that respond to the concept of space and its various interpretations. Körmeling’s projects appear to originate from a humorous and deeply-rooted anti-conformism, rebelling against the paralyzing effects of rules and conventions in spatial planning in the Netherlands, which he once aptly described as “fiddling in small spaces.” The solutions he proposes are disarmingly witty, at times cutting and teasing – as seen in a sketch for a town hall with the text WHILE YOU ALL WORK.
Often, his work demonstrates that a simple or obvious idea, when placed cleverly, can be perceived as absurd: such as his mobile and retractable parking carpet, which swiftly resolves the issue of parking shortages in big cities. Similarly, the proposal No Bridge (1991) for the Zocherpark in Utrecht reminds us that sometimes, it’s better not to build a bridge. Both ideas serve as a reminder that we often have to bend over backwards to find a suitable solution for an obstacle of our own making, which is just as absurd as a good joke from Körmeling.
wwww.ftn-books.com has several Kormeling publications available.
