Janina Müller + Sabrina Hödl

Otl Aicher’s experiences during the National Socialist period stiffened his political resistance. Later, he formulated the force driving his work as an artist thus: “I think as an act against Hitler!”. He castigated Hitler’s emotional manipulation of the masses and pleaded for rational communication. His contradictory approach to emotions is plain to see in his two posters for the 1972 Olympics: far from being coolly objective, they were designed to affect people.

The new place of remembrance for the ‘72 Olympics sensitises visitors to the outrage on 5 September 1972 during which 17 people lost their lives. It is conducive to the public finding out for itself what happened. The architecture comprises two intermeshing spirals of concrete panels that rise continuously higher. Their sides bear the names of the victims along with a series of catchwords.

The Olympic colours and their shaded variants are likewise to be seen there. The dynamic architecture leads to an observation platform affording a view out over the Olympic park and the village where the outrage took place. Images reflected by mirror-polish pillars evoke the concept of visual reference and serve as an exhortation to self-reflection.