unlimited depth.

“Ewige Teufe” (Unlimited Depth) is a term from the traditional language of the coal miners, which describes the right to dig deeper, into the earth, as long as there is more coal to be found. Due to the law of the “Ewige Teufe”, a mine can be dug into the ground infinitely, and create an eternal tunnel until the coal subsides. This right however, also bears a considerable responsibility, since these narrow, subterranean corridors of darkness have to be built and secured first. And while caves, crypts and underground sewers connotate mystery and adventures, the idea of a coal mine brings up feelings of anxiety and fear. “Glück auf” (“Good luck”) is a saying full of hope, that was told to the miners going underground, since they will need a lot of luck in order to return to the surface. When someone enters the gloomy depth of the shaft, not only the need for air, but also the need for light becomes existential.

Nikola Dicke uses light as the essential element of her impressive installation, which she designed for two floors of the Gallery sohle 1 in Bergkamen, the largest former mining town in Europe. The artist‘s method of inscribing drawings into soot-blackened glass plates and then illuminating them from behind lends itself for a place like this. From the deepest darkness, her drawings of lanterns and tools, and even the workers themselves are glowing and becoming alive. 
(Ann-Katrin Günzel)