Public HybridPublic HybridPublic Hybrid

In it, the artist, who grew up in Bochum, explores the history and future not only of this particular place, but of the entire Ruhr area as well. At the same time, he has created a contemporary monument that resembles a natural landmark and can be regarded as referring to the ecological improvements that have been made to Emscher River system.

In this multipart installation titled »Public Hybrid«, the artist combines the contrasting materials of sandstone and plastic. 3D printed elements made of recycled plastic and broken sandstone from the Ruhr region are stacked on top of each other like sediments. The resulting amorphous, artificial formations protrude out of the ground in a seemingly random fashion.  

The sandstone comes from the nearby town of Sprockhövel. It was formed about 320 million years ago and is one of the most resistant types of sandstone in Germany. Unlike this raw material that has been used by humans for millennia, the use of recycled plastic elements produced by 3D printing provides a glimpse into a digital, green vision of the future. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing technology, is in principle based on data for computer-aided physical translation. Through 3D printing, Jablonowski implicitly refers to invisible infrastructures that are created by the digital data traffic of public communication. He also juxtaposes waste, which is a material that needs the help of digital technology to become a resource, with geological materials that are quarried in a traditional way. This innovation through the combination of new technologies, nature, and artistic interventions also reflects the project of a generation of restoring the Emscher River.