The Nimbus mower has a good laugh

Hollenbeq's ironic ode to the triumph of the average

Hollenbeq's work "Der Nimbusmäher hat gut lachen" is a subtle but penetrating critique of the mechanisms of modern society, which levels the extraordinary and truncates the individual into the banality of the average. In typical Hollenbeq style, the work combines apparent simplicity with profound social reflection. The nimbus mower - an ordinary lawnmower with a smiling face - becomes a symbol for the joy of conformity and the invisible schadenfreude that is equally present in the digital and analog worlds.

Title of the work:

Format:

100 x 150 cm

Artists:

Silas Hollenbeq

INITIALIMPULS | Year:

2020

BACKGROUND

A mower for the aura of something special

At the center of the work is the nimbus mower, which raises blades of grass - metaphorically for people, ideas or personalities - to a uniform height. But Hollenbeq goes further: the mower not only destroys the grass, but also exposes and destroys the nimbus, the fine aura of the individual, the extraordinary, the successful. With its grotesque, smiling face, the Nimbus mower becomes the executioner of the social nimbus - not as an aggressive destroyer, but as a casual enforcer of a social order that aims for conformity. The aesthetics of the flat design emphasize the simplicity and everyday nature of the tool. Yet it is precisely this clarity that conceals the gravity of the subject: how often is the extraordinary erased in favor of mediocrity, and how readily do we accept this?

NIMBUS AND SCHADENFREUDE - THE DIGITAL DIMENSION

Hollenbeq extends the metaphor beyond the garden fence and into digital space. The nimbus mower becomes an allegory of the schadenfreude hidden behind the anonymity of the digital world. Like the philistine who watches his neighbors behind the garden fence, many people on social media use their invisibility to curtail the radiance of others. Likes and comments become the new way of mowing the lawn - seemingly innocent, but often with the quiet satisfaction of dragging the outstanding down to an everyday level. Hollenbeq thus poses the question: How often do we celebrate the triumph of the average without realizing it? The Nimbus Mower becomes a symbol of this collective attitude - one that is both ironic and unsettling. In a world where digital identities increasingly determine our social actions, the trimming of the nimbus is not only tolerated but often celebrated.

BACKGROUND

With this work, Hollenbeq calls for self-reflection: Haven't we all, protected by the anonymity of digital media or behind the fences of our everyday existences, contributed to mowing someone else's nimbus? Be it through subtle criticism, envy or the passive acceptance of egalitarianism - the nimbus mower is not only a symbol, but also a mirror. Ultimately, the work is an invitation to dialog - with ourselves and with society. It reminds us that the power of the nimbus mower lies not in its sharpness, but in our willingness to use it.

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