During Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW), the Rindermarkt and Salome Fountains were transformed into dynamic canvases, blending public art with generative design developed by Stephan Doesinger´s Styliamo. Commissioned by bayern design GmbH and MCBW, Stephan Doesinger Studio reimagined these iconic Munich landmarks, wrapping their winter coverings in vibrant, algorithm-driven patterns. This project not only revitalized the urban landscape but also sparked conversations about the evolving role of design in public spaces.

The Rindermarkt Fountain

Except for the bronze cattle sculpture by Munich sculptor Josef Henselmann from 1964, the entire winter covering is wrapped in a graphic titled "Beef-Cut." "Beef-Cut" refers to the diagrams for beef cuts commonly seen in butcher shops. This abstract representation of a cow turns the living animal into a "map" for its processing.

The transformation from the representation of a cow to an abstraction is not only evident in the meat industry’s diagrams but also in Roy Lichtenstein's "Bull Profile Series" from 1973. The print series shows a cow in profile, abstracted beyond recognition through various printing techniques such as lithography, woodcut, and silkscreen. For the Rindermarkt Fountain, the abstraction of these images was further developed using digital technology. Special algorithms were used to generatively recalculate a tiny template from Roy Lichtenstein, resulting in a 200-square-meter artwork layered together. These, in turn, pick up on Henselmann’s idea of cascades and puddles.

Salome Fountain

The installation on the Richard Strauss Fountain in Neuhauser Straße is titled "Seven Veils." This title refers to Oscar Wilde’s "Salome" story of "revealing and concealing," thereby creating a connection to the theme of the Rindermarkt Fountain.

For the MCBW design, the story of Salome, immortalized by Richard Strauss in his Salome opera, served as the starting point for the artistic design:

"Salome's dance of the seven veils is a story about the nature of seduction through revealing and concealing, about delusion, decadence, and decline. Herod, who lusts after his own daughter Salome as if possessed, demands a dance from her and is willing to give anything for it. After she agrees and dances, she demands the head of the prophet John the Baptist on a silver platter. Herod, bound by his word, tries in vain to dissuade her from this wish. Herodias, Salome's mother, triumphs with Salome, who now kisses the mouth of the severed head. "There was a bitter taste on your lips. Was it the taste of blood? But perhaps that is how love tastes." Plagued by horror, he now orders his soldiers to kill Salome."

The seven veils are represented by seven overlaid graphic layers. The red elements symbolize the beheading of John the Baptist, carried out at Salome’s demand.