Hermann Goepfert, the artist behind the fountain near Frankfurt’s Eschenheim Tower, would have turned 100 on November 5. The 1968 artwork, known as the Goepfert Fountain, has been out of operation since 2005, when its water supply was cut during work on the underground railway beneath it.
The fountain’s metal fins and kinetic elements were designed to accompany water and light, with jets sparkling above the basin. Today, many passersby may not know it once functioned as a water feature. The neglected basin has also raised concern that stagnant water could provide breeding sites for tiger mosquitoes; the standing water was pumped out during the summer.
A proposal from the FDP group in Frankfurt’s city council to repair the fountain was discussed by the culture committee and referred for further examination and reporting. Earlier restoration proposals were submitted in 2017 and 2019. The cost was estimated at around €700,000 in 2019, and the FDP hopes private supporters might help fund the work.
Born in Bad Nauheim in 1926, Goepfert explored space, movement and light in his sculptures, often combining traditional materials with technical elements. He was associated with the Zero artists’ group and exhibited internationally. His work was also shown at documenta 3 in 1964, including one of his light-and-sound machines, called an “Optophonium.”
An Optophonium variation has been installed in the Alte Oper since 1981. Its fabric structure is connected to lamps that respond to musical impulses. Goepfert also created works for Frankfurt locations including the Nordwestzentrum and the Heinrich-von-Gagern-Gymnasium. His works are held by institutions including the Landesmuseum Darmstadt and Frankfurt’s Museum für Moderne Kunst.
The fountain remains in poor condition, while another Goepfert fountain is reportedly held in the city collection. Goepfert died in Antwerp in 1982, where he was living at the time.
Sources: FAZ.