From Opposite Sides: and everything in Between

/Reflections on the Mnster Sculpture Project 2007 et al by Kimberly Marrero and Ron Rocco
The art one finds at the Mnster Sculpture
Project today !hich !as co"curated by
#ri$itte %ran&en Kasper Koni$ and 'arina
Plath is it seems of a more modest stature
than that !hich has appeared in some of
the Projects earlier e(hibitions) These
ne!er more modest !or*s carry a lar$er
political and social payload) Raisin$ the
+uestion is a bi$$er $rander installation
really better,
The story $oes that !hen -eor$e Ric*ey
placed his *inetic sculpture in the city of
Mnster in mid ./70 there !as a
si$nificant outcry from the city0s citi&ens)
To address this dissatisfaction and to
attempt to brid$e understandin$ about art
in public places Klaus #ussmann Project
Mnster0s founder in ./77 undertoo* a
series of lectures and presentations at the
1estf2lisches 3andesmuseum in Mnster to address the concerns of the populace) Thus !as born the
Mnster Sculpture Project) 4lthou$h protests of the project follo!ed in latter years the citi&ens of Mnster
e5entually came to embrace the project and are found today to be +uite proud of it celebratin$ its
presence in the city as !ell as understandin$ the economical benefit it brin$s to this rather sleepy colle$e
to!n) Thus the -eor$e Ric*ey spar*ed a transformation in this city)
So !hat one learns +uic*ly from the art and the 4rchi5e of the Mnster
Sculpture Project on display at the museum is that the artists and their
!or* does ha5e a formati5e po!er on the city)
6ne e(ample Thomas Schtte0s Kirschensale 7'herry 'olumn0 the color
of !hich reflected the popular color of auto paint at the time !as
constructed in ./87 o5erloo*in$ a par*in$ lot full of cars $arba$e
receptacles bi*es and bi*e rac*s) 65er time city officials notin$ the
number of tourist and other 5isitors !ho !ere searchin$ out the 'herries
thou$ht they should clean up the site to help impro5e the city0s ima$e)
Thus today Schtte0s 'herries can be found on a saniti&ed public s+uare
the 9arse1in*elplat& a standard $ray cobblestone pla&a surrounded by
cafes and a $ranite fountain !hich !as donated to the city by pri5ate
in5estors) 6nce a$ain the city itself !as transformed by an artist0s
inter5ention) :n this case Schtte in5ited to participate in the 2007
Project and seein$ the site of his art!or* transformed defiantly reacted
to this sterili&ation of the surroundin$ landscape by creatin$ a 7Museum of
the %uture0 ;1hich stands in contradiction to the architecturally clustered
pla&a<)= Schtte *no!n for his attention to craftsmanship and materials
that e5o*e traces of the artist0s hand chooses instead three sterile
industrial elements $lass steel and plastic to create his Modell fr ein
Museum) 9e places this construction o5er the pla&a0s $ranite fountain thus
encapsulatin$ this architectural form and containin$ its functionality) %urther his benches assembled alon$
the e(terior of the structure compel
5isitors to sit !ith their bac*s to the
fountain directin$ their 5ie! a!ay
from it separatin$ the fountain from
public access and its site) :n this
!ay he comments on ho! !or*s of
art can be remo5ed from the !orld
they inhabit confined in the museum
as in a saniti&ed art $ra5eyard)
1hat Michael 4sher has done o5er
the course of successi5e Mnster
Sculpture Project manifestations
since his ./77 project :nstallation
Mnster /'ara5an !as concei5ed is
to place a cara5an in each of .>
chosen spots throu$hout the city
durin$ the course of the e(hibition)
The cara5an as such becomes an
icon of domestic life 7on the road0) 4s
a metaphor for one !ho0s desire is to brin$ one0s !orld alon$ !ith them the cara5an comes to symboli&e
a 7br$erlich0 pro5incial thin*in$ li*e that !hich tri$$ered the demonstrations a$ainst the Mnster Project
at its inception) The !or* throu$h its photo$raphic documentation re5eals the chan$es !hich ha5e
occurred in the city o5er the ?0 years and four successi5e manifestations of the Project) The pedestrian
nature of the !or* belies its si$nificance as a mar*er of time and location) The art !or* !hich is mo5ed
e5ery Monday to each of its successi5e .> locations can sometimes be found loc*ed in its $ara$e because
the cityscape has altered so si$nificantly that the ne(t location no lon$er e(ists to accommodate it)
Sil*e 1a$ner0s Mnster@s -eschichte 5on Anten /The 9istory of Mnster from
#elo! stands in front of the city Stadthaus 7'ity 6ffices0) :t is concei5ed as a
monument to Paul 1ulf !ho at a$e se5en and one of four children !as
remo5ed from his home) 3i*e Michael 4sher0s displaced cara5an 1ulf could
no lon$er be accommodated !ithin the apartment inhabited by his $ro!in$
family or so it !as claimed by the Ba&i $o5ernment of Mnster) Thus he !as
mo5ed to an asylum for the mentally ill and there sterili&ed by the Ba&is)
Curin$ his life he fou$ht le$al battles for reco$nition and compensation
a$ainst !ar crimes and became despite his small physical stature an icon of
resistance to o5erreachin$ $o5ernmental injustices) The artist co5ers 1ulf0s
body !ith 5arious historical documents in the style of an information *ios*
these chronicle political and social stru$$le a$ainst nuclear ener$y and the
need for ade+uate housin$) Throu$h 1a$ner0s collaboration !ith the
Am!elt&entrum 4rchi5 Mnster 7Dn5ironmental 4rchi5e Society0 she further
opens the potential for communication of these ideas beyond 1ulf0s body to
the !orld 5ia the internet)
65erall these !or*s are not monumental in scale but reflect a more human
si&ed format suitable for indi5idual reflection) %or e(ample :sa -en&*en0s
Antitled umbrella compositions feel 5ery much homemade) 9er project is
positioned adjoinin$ the Eber!asser*irche and bein$ di5ided into .2
installations has adopted a 7stations of the cross0 metaphor for their
assembla$e) She creates a po!erful statement about childhood and
adolescence in an a$e !here children of affluence tend to 7ha5e it all0) :n this !or* children0s toys dolls
and 5arious accessories are scared !ith paint or dismembered seemin$ly a metaphor for ne$lect or
childhood afflictions li*e attention deficit disorder resultin$ from e(cess and information o5erload)
Maria Pas*0s #eautiful 'ity reflects a sense of the communes of the si(ties) :t offers a 5ariety of reli$ious
dialo$ues presented throu$h a series of lectures and e5ents hosted !ithin her tent encampment) This
open community !elcomes the 5ie!er !ith !ater and tea and a profusion of literature on political social
and reli$ious topics) #y offerin$ unconditional access to shelter and participation !ithin a harmonious
community this !or* as !ell as 4sche0s cara5an and 1a$ner0s monument underlines the importance of
affordable housin$ in today0s housin$ mar*ets)
4t the Drbdrostenhof a former palace in baro+ue
style 7!here Richard Serra placed t!enty"four
tons of steel0F durin$ the Mnster Sculpture
Project of ./87 4ndreas Sie*mann0s Tric*le
Co!n Cer Gffentlice Raum im Heitalter seiner
Pri5atisierun$ 7Public Space in the Dra of its
Pri5ati&ation0 ma*es an e+ually si$nificant
statement usin$ more modest means) Sie*mann
shreds the fiber$lass co!s bears $eese and
other fi$ures !hich ha5e become per5asi5e in
urban centers in -ermany and beyond due to
the mar*etin$ efforts of cities) These elements
are assembled in one lar$e ball"li*e structure
!hich is meant to reclaim the urban landscape
and offset the pri5ati&ation of public space) Thus
Sie*mann opens for dialo$ue the notion that
these corporate sponsored fi$ures are usurpin$
public spaces !hich are perhaps better ser5ed
by the indi5iduali&ed statements of 5isual artists)
The majority of the !or*s in Mnster Sculpture Project of 2007 reflect an intimate format !hich contrasts
!ith popular interest in !or*s of epic proportions) 9o!e5er fi$urati5ely spea*in$ these !or*s are lar$er
than life in their po!er to con5ey timeless subjects and sa$e commentary) This raises the +uestions is
bi$$er really better and can art and ideas transform societies and social consciousness, 'learly in the
case of the Mnster Sculpture Project the modest has found its place and has succeeded in ma*in$ a lar$e
impact)
6ther projects to consider !hich are on 5ie! in
-ermany at this time are Cocumenta in Kassel
curated by Ruth Boac* and Made in -ermany
hosted at three separate 5enues in the city of
9anno5er)
Cocumenta lac* luster at best does ha5e its hi$h
points) The sho! stopper by 5eteran
choreo$rapher Trisha #ro!n is a ./7.
installation called %loor of the %orest) 4 brilliant
installation and 20 minute performance
contained !ithin a +uadratic !eb of rope and
attached clothin$ !hich the ? performers slo!ly
na5i$ate donnin$ a spectrum of shirts pants
and s!eaters as they mo5e alon$ throu$h the
piece) The art!or* ta*es it name from a symphony of e5er chan$in$ shado!s !hich play upon the floor)
4nother memorable piece !as a multiple channel 5ideo installation The 3i$htnin$ Testimonies of 2007 by
4mar Kan!ar from Be! Celhi :ndia) This !or* documents actual e5ents in the history of :ndia Pa*istan
and #an$ladesh throu$h !hich !omen ha5e suffered se(ual 5iolence) The flo! of ima$es historical
foota$e shattered 5essels inter5ie!s and a panel play of natural elements pro5ide a cathartic tribute
$i5in$ 5oice to all 5ictims of these atrocities) 4nother 5ideo !or* !orth mentionin$ is IWho is listening?I
from Ju 'hin Tsen$ !hich in one of its se$ments sho!s children bein$ sprayed by the artist !ith mil*)
This simple concept recorded !ith a camera placed 5ery close to the children is e(tremely re5ealin$) :t
sho! all the emotions that pass across the faces of the artist0s youn$ subjects from tense e(pectation to
borderline tears as the mil* is ejected and finally cheerful pride as they stru$$le to re$ain their
composure) These !or*s pro5ide reason enou$h to ma*e the passa$e to Kassel !orth !hile)
3i*e the cherry on top of Schtte0s column in Mnster the real treat !as in 9anno5er !ith the three"part
e(hibition entitled IMade in -ermanyI) The three sites curated independently at Cie Kestner$esellschaft
by D5eline #ernasconi 'aroline K2din$ and %ran*"Thorsten Moll and at the Kunst5erein 9anno5er by
Martin Dn$ler and the Spren$el Museum 9anno5er by Susanne Meyer"#ser and -abriele Sand contain
the !or* of >2 artists born bet!een ./K. and ./7/ and presently !or*in$ in -ermany) Mar*in$ the
entrance of the Cie Kestner$esellschaft is a remar*able s!ayin$ chandalier the !or* of Stephan 9obar)
This sho! included some of the best 5ideo !or* comin$ out of -ermany artists li*e 'andice #reit&
Bathalie Cjurber$ 'hristoph -irardet 'hristoph Keller #jorn Melhus and Lulian Rosenfeldt) 6ther
hi$hli$hts are sensational installations such as #it %all by Lulius Popp computer $enerated te(t !ritten
!ith fallin$ !ater and a mysterious !or* entitled 1hat the , by RothStauffenber$ a team composed of
artists 'hristopher Roth and %ran& 5on Stauffenber$) These e(hibitions of mi(ed re5ie! ultimately ma*e
clear the 5itality of the -erman art scene)
=F Ta*en from Sculpture Projects Muester 07 Merla$ der #uchhandlun$ 1alther KGni$ KGln
Kimberly Marrero is an :ndependent 4rt 4d5isor and 'urator !ho also ser5es as an 4rts Dducator at the Solomon
R) -u$$enheim Museum in Be! Jor* 'ity)
Ron Rocco is an :ndependent 'urator and multimedia artist !ho has sho!n in numerous 5enues
!orld!ide and li5es and !or*s in Be! Jor* and #erlin -ermany)