Carsten Höller

site-specific | permanent artwork

Doubt Staircase

2024
Metal balustrades, Vicenza stone, marmorino  Veneziano, and metal structures

Carsten Höller holds a PhD in Agricultural Science. He  applies his knowledge of the scientific method to his  artistic practice, although he does so to subvert its  basic rules. He conceives art as a cognitive tool and  uses his works to transform the sensory and emotional  experiences of individuals. He aims to disorient and  provoke the viewer, altering traditional perceptual  mechanisms by creating situations and experiences that,  instead of providing certainty, instill doubt and create a  sense of confusion.  

Carsten Höller designed a permanent and functional  artwork at Palazzo Diedo, the Doubt Staircase, transforming an unfinished flight of stairs into a  fully realized structure, of obvious Palladian inspiration. The spiral staircase features metal  balustrades, Vicenza stone, and marmorino Veneziano, all  unified by metal structures. Designed with a five-degree  gradient, the staircase is accessible to visitors, allowing for a gentle ascent between the main floors of Palazzo Diedo.