monheim_cube

Mischa Kuball

Summary

Arnold AG realized the artwork monheim_cube by Mischa Kuball for the city of Monheim am Rhein. The 5 × 5 × 5 meter walk-in cube made of LED panels combines light, sound and interaction to create a unique spatial installation. Complemented by three illuminated segments throughout the city, the work creates an artistic link between the center and the periphery.

Services

Design, manufacture, transportation and assembly

Project manager

Pascal Bargon

Client

City of Monheim, Germany

Year

2021

Ron Zander, Arnold AG

The cube that makes Monheim shine

The monheim_cube rises up in the middle of the shopping boulevard, between the bus station and Eierplatz. Kuball's work transforms the newly designed urban space into a stage of light and sound. Formed from framed LED panels, the cube traces its geometric contours and shines for miles around. A few steps further on, a luminous square in the floor marks the basic shape and expands the spatial effect.

But monheim_cube is more than just a sculpture to look at: The installation reacts interactively to the movements of passers-by. The closer you step, the brighter and more dynamic the light becomes, while inside a sound installation that can only be heard there begins. Curated by the Monheim Triennale, the selection of music pieces, together with the time of day, weather and season, constantly changes the experience of the work.

The artwork in the pedestrian zone in Monheim, Photo: Ron Zander, Arnold AG

More than twelve edges: A gateway to the city

With the seemingly simple shape of a cube, Kuball creates a space within a space - a sculptural gateway, perhaps even a stage in the city. From the outside, the work appears clear and geometric; close up, it merges with its surroundings. The eight corners and twelve edges of the cube open up lines of sight, framing cut-outs and inviting the viewer to perceive the space anew time and again.

The installation turns the audience itself into an actor: movements control light and sound, people become the dimmers of the space. This creates a complex, sensory experience that can be experienced individually and at the same time shared in the community.

Light points that connect the city

The central cube is complemented by three illuminated segments on Berliner Ring,
in Krischerstraße and Opladener Straße. Together they form the shape of the cube,
individually they form luminous fragments that point to the center from the main traffic axes.
In this way, an artistic link is created between the periphery and the city center.

Mischa Kuball, monheim_cube, Berliner Straße, 2022 (© VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2025, Photo: Studio Kukulies, Düsseldorf)

A work of art that interacts with people

The cubes tell the story of Monheim's "new center", mark central locations
in the urban space and invite people to actively make this space their own -
not just as consumers, but as participants. When the stores close and it gets dark,
the light unfolds its greatest power and transforms the square into a living symbol of urban culture.
We are proud to have contributed to the artistic redesign of Monheim's city centre
with the realization of the monheim_cube - and look forward to further exciting projects with Mischa Kuball.