Tolerance through dialogue
Tolerance through dialogue ( Spanish : "Diálogo - Tolerancia") is a sculpture by the Spanish - Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida from 1992. It is located in the inner courtyard of Münster ( Platz des Westphalian Peace ).
sculpture
The sculpture consists of two equally sized parts in the form of benches facing each other. These have a length of about 2.90 m and a depth and height of about 1.20 m. They are molded from solid Corten steel . There are - in each case different - recesses in the banks. The total weight of the sculpture is about 18 tons.
Emergence
In the 1980s, Chillida was working on a design for a sculpture in Münster. Since the implementation was delayed, was to take place in the ten-year cycle Skulptur.Projekte Munster in 1987 , the sculpture with similar themes Monumento a la Tolerancia from Sevilla on loan (Spain). According to another representation, Chillida had planned to come with Monumento a la Tolerancia and, at the request of the then mayor of the city and fascinated by the historical location, agreed to create a thematically similar sculpture especially for Münster. Monumento a la Tolerancia already referred to a historical religious-ethnic conflict, namely the expulsion of the Jews and Moors from Spain in 1492 (end of the Reconquista ) as a process of “lack of tolerance”.
Lineup
In 1993 Tolerance through Dialogue - in connection with the 1200th anniversary of the city of Münster and the 350th anniversary of the beginning of the negotiations on the Peace of Westphalia - was set up on the square behind the historic town hall . It was specially designed by Chillida for this place.
The inner courtyard of the town hall was partially lowered for tolerance and dialogue according to plans by the Spanish architect Joaquin Montero. The sculpture was erected on May 17, 1993 in the area four steps lower directly behind the Friedenssaal of the town hall. The unveiling took place on May 18, the 350th anniversary of the beginning of the negotiations on the Peace of Westphalia, in the presence of the artist, the Basque Minister of Education and the then Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker .
Regarding the possibility of sitting on the benches and their dimensions, which are otherwise unsuitable for this , Chillida explained: "They are not intended to accommodate bodies, but ideas."
Dispute about a possible sale
In connection with the dissolution of WestLB , which bought the work of art at the time and made it available to the city of Münster as a permanent loan, intentions to sell the sculpture on the free art market became known in 2014. This triggered widespread displeasure in the public and in politics. WestLB's legal successor is Portigon AG , a wholly-owned subsidiary of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In 2016, a specially established foundation called “Art in the State” bought many of the works from WestLB. At the express insistence of the city of Münster, the Chillida benches should also be included.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Eduardo Chillida - Sculptures in Public Space at www.welt-der-form.net , accessed on September 18, 2015
- ↑ a b City of Münster: Eduardo Chillida - Tolerance through dialogue , accessed on September 18, 2015
- ↑ a b c d e Otto-Ehrenfried Selle: Münster's big birthday present , in: “Auf Roter Erde, Heimatblätter für Münster und das Münsterland”, January 2015, (supplement to the Westfälische Nachrichten )
- ↑ a b Westfälische Nachrichten : Chillida benches before sale - Lord Mayor threatens “uprising” , accessed on September 18, 2015
- ↑ NRW buys “nationally valuable” Portigon art , WAZ from July 4, 2016 at www.derwesten.de, accessed on September 4, 2016
Coordinates: 51 ° 57 ′ 41.4 " N , 7 ° 37 ′ 42.9" E