SIGNAL HILL

THOMAS ZIPP

June / July 2019

Artist statement
In the beginning of the year i spent several months working in Cape Town, South Africa. From my provisional outside backyard studio i had a close view to Signal Hill, a flat-topped hill that is situated in the city of Cape Town next to Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. It’s name is indicative of its function as it was was used to send a 12 o’ clock signal out for helping the ships to start their navigation. As cannons sound which was also used as a time signal (they still fire the noon gun from signal hill everyday) has a certain latency because of the low speed of sound waves, in 1836 a first Time ball and later a second one were installed on signal hill. The best way to give a 12 o’ clock signal was the optical way of dropping a Ball. Systems of orientation has always been of my interest, whether they be navigation or planetary systems.

The large sculpture in my exhibition is my version of the time ball, the smaller sculpture marks the top of the hill. It refers to the different concepts of the universe of Johannes Keppler and Tycho Brahe. It seems Keppler has however the overhand, but it is still Brahes concept that appeals to me more.

The paintings represent the unique vegetation on Signal Hill as it is one of the only places in the world where the very special ecosystem of the region around Cape Town City Bowl survived. For me they also mark different states of mind finding their positions around the signal transmitting sculptures.