Oasis no. 7 was a temporary architectural intervention contributed by the experimental Austrian collective Haus-Rucker-Co to the fifth edition of Documenta, an exhibition of contemporary art in Kassel, Germany. Conceived as “an emergency exit leading people to another realm,” the work consisted of a translucent, inflatable orb precariously protruding from the classical eighteenth-century facade of Kassel’s Fridericianum. Theatrically staged as an artificial oasis, the orb contained two plastic palm trees, a hammock, and a red flag. By temporarily extending the institutional space of the museum beyond its architectural confines, Haus-Rucker-Co altered the experiences of visitors and questioned the artificial demarcation between natural and human-made environment.
Gallery label from 2021.
