My first time ... at the Bechtler Foundation in Uster

Sultry summer temperatures prevail when I visit the Bechtler Foundation, a thunderstorm announces itself, the light changes with the passing of the clouds, restlessness is in the air. The main building is a flat, elongated concrete structure, grey metal and some glass, surrounded by residential buildings, in front of it a large car park. I enter the entrance area of the building, which looks rather cool from the outside, through the large, open door and find myself in a bright, warm room. In the exhibition room on the left, the exhibition "A Restless Universe" by Peter Fischli and David Weiss is on display. The centrepiece of the Bechtler Foundation, however, describes the world's largest floor sculpture, "The 2000 Sculpture" by Walter de Maria. The sculpture consists of 2000 white plaster objects of the same size but with different edge variations. They are arranged in rows and in a clear rhythm on an area of 500 m2. An art space was specially created for these 2000 sculptures according to the artist's ideas, so that the work is perceived as a unit despite its size. Important components of the artwork are the incidence of light through the large skylights - which is why the sculpture may only be shown in daylight - and the inclusion of green and unstructured nature through a shop window to the outside as a contrast to the monochrome order in the room. As I walk through the work, my associations change from sacred emotion, science fiction, the cult of the dead to mathematical world order, depending on the dramaturgy of the incidence of light and the perspective.

After the tranquillity of this experience of art and space, I make my way into the park to find the scattered works of art by Pipilotti Rist, Sol Lewitt, Victor Vasarely and other important artists. The thunderstorm holds off, allowing me to fully enjoy the walk through the Zeller Park area with its pond landscapes and avant-garde architecture. There is much to discover. The sculptures are sometimes hidden, sometimes prominently displayed and always surprising. Like Pipilotti Rist's video installation "I Couldn't Agree With You More" in a little bicycle shed in the middle of the residential quarter, surrounded by playing children and vegetable beds. But if you find the hidden door and enter the secret code, the entrance to a small dark room opens and the video installation immediately plays. This experience of art and space also takes me away from everyday life into a calm, quiet world for ten minutes.