“Glocke” (2020 (2022)) is a sculpture made of black rubber. In his work, Heerich is concerned with ambivalences and tensions that exist simultaneously within objects or situations. For thousands of years, the bell has accompanied humankind – both as a warning signal and as a ritual object rung for spiritual contemplation and meditation.

The sculpture reflects the tension between the theoretical construction of an ideal bell and the practical knowledge of the traditional foundries with which the artist collaborates. Heerich transfers the stylized image of the resonating body into the insulating material of rubber, thereby inverting all functionality. The bell lies sunken on the ground, revealing the heaviness weighing on the material.

Rubber is a recurring material in Heerich’s practice, which he reflects upon in terms of its manifold functions in the organization of society. It is a product of historical processes such as colonialism and industrialization. In mechanical constructions, rubber serves as an intermediate layer, dampens, absorbs friction, and usually remains invisible. At the same time, it evokes fetish objects and stands in contrast to the symbolism of the bell as a liturgical device.

With “Glocke”, Heerich emphasizes rubber as a protagonist of historical developments and provokes viewers to reflect on the relationship between body, sound, form, and space.