Golden Pyramid

The brothers Icy & Sot, who now reside in New York, began with street art in their native Tehran around 2006, initially inspired by skating. They took their first steps in this art form with stickers and stencils; this kind of art was not widespread in Iran at the time, and its characterization as dissident activity meant that it was dangerous for artists to carry out such work. Soon they expanded their practice to include the genres for which they are known today: urban sculpture and installation. Traditional historiography usually only remembers the names of rulers and leaders, be they pharaohs or industrial barons. But these did not move stones or smelt ore; instead, they often exploited those who brought them success and prosperity through hard physical labor: countless nameless workers. The imposing Golden Pyramid that Icy & Sot have erected on the roof of the Völklingen Ironworks is conceived as an “ode to the workers of all times.” Are there any pitfalls lurking in this pyramid? You should at least reckon with mental ones.

Robert Kaltenhäuser