Street art in Hanover

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Art in public space has a decades-long tradition in Hanover : As early as 1970, the City Council was the first German city to make the promotion of art in public space a municipal policy task with the “Experiment Street Art ”. As early as 2010, the capital of Lower Saxony recorded more than 200 sculptures , sculptures and installations, especially in the inner city area. The art program includes the Nanas , now part of the sculpture mile , or artistic objects such as the bus stops .

The Nanas set up in 1974 in the course of the “street art experiment”

history

prehistory

The large spherical shape , purchased in 1956, was one of the first abstract sculptures in public space in Germany.

In the course of the reconstruction, Hanover was one of the first cities in Germany to set up an abstract sculpture in public space, even though the large spherical shape was rededicated in 1960 as a symbol for the desired reunification .

The donations from Bernhard Sprengel in 1969 were the construction of the Sprengel Museum ahead

The street art experiment was preceded in 1969 by the donation of the art collection , which the Hanoverian chocolate manufacturer Bernhard Sprengel donated to the city on his 70th birthday. As “one of the most extensive and high-quality German collections of contemporary art”, together with Sprengel's donation of 2.5 million marks, it formed the basis for the construction of the Sprengel Museum . In the same year, works by Niki de Saint Phalle were shown at the Kunstverein Hannover .

The Ile de France was commissioned by France for the World's Fair in Montreal created

Also in 1969, the steel sculpture Ile de France by the French Berto Lardera was purchased. It had been created on behalf of France for the world exhibition in Montreal . Harald Seiler , director of the Lower Saxony State Museum at the time , had proposed the purchase. Originally set up opposite the State Museum, then in the courtyard of the Sprengel Museum, the "most consistent implementation of autonomous sculpture" in public space in Hanover until 1969 found its current location in 1998 at the corner of Culemannstrasse and Friederikenplatz . ( → map )

Experiment street art

The "street art experiment" kicked off in 1970 with the first nationwide old town festival ; here with action art by János Nádasdy .

In 1970, the Hanoverian city director Martin Neuffer , local politicians like Rudolf Hillebrecht and Heinz Lauenroth, together with “knowledgeable citizens ” like Bernhard Sprengel or Wieland Schmied , initiated the “street art experiment”. The beginning of all subsequent actions was the first old town festival in Hanover at the end of August 1970 , which received nationwide attention and was the first of its kind in Germany.

The artistic direction and coordination for the street art experiment was taken over by Manfred de la Motte , the director of the Kunstverein Hannover , after the city council had approved the funding , for an initially limited period from September 1, 1970 to August 31, 1973 the actions continued, however, and culminated in the formation of the Nanas in February 1974.

In the population, but also among the initiators themselves, both the program and the specific design of the art actions repeatedly caused heated controversy .

For the first 27 works of art that were installed as part of the street art experiment, the city spent almost DM 2 million, around 70% of which was for so-called “ pedestal art ” that was set up in public spaces.

List of artists and their art objects

The artists listed below created objects that were installed in the streets of Hanover. The list is sorted alphabetically by the names of the artists.

Otto Almstadt

The sculpture Contacts by Otto Almstadt (born 1940 in Einbeck) was created in 1973 as part of the “street art program”. On this occasion, the Hildesheim artist group “Kontakt-Kunst” organized an art event in Hanover lasting several weeks between 1971 and 1974. The artists asked passers-by to help create public works of art. With the sculpture contacts , too, interaction and communication were particularly important. According to the city's cultural office, the sandstone work shows a lively, abstract physicality. It also indicates Almstadt's many years of natural and anatomical studies. Another work, the sculpture Constriction , is at the entrance to the zoo .

An expert commission set up by the city examined the condition of the public works of art in Hanover from 2006 onwards. At Almstadt's contacts she questioned whether the work still complied with the basic idea of ​​“contact art”. The project was about creating something together and exchanging ideas, while the actual result only played a subordinate role. Should the Theodor-Lessing-Platz be redesigned, it would have to be clarified with the artist whether the work should remain there after more than 30 years. If so, a text board could help convey the concept at the time.

  • Location contacts : Theodor-Lessing-Platz ( location )
  • Constriction location : At the entrance to Hanover Zoo , near the tram stop ( location )

  • contacts

  • contacts

  • Constriction

  • Constriction

Bernd Altenstein

Bernd Altenstein (born 1943) created the bronze sculpture Man on the Move . It was set up in 1982 as art in architecture in front of the regional tax office building.

  • Location: Waterloostraße, in front of the entrance to the regional tax office ( location )
  • Sculpture man on the move Bernd Altenstein Waterloostrasse Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture man on the move Bernd Altenstein Waterloostrasse Hanover Germany 03.jpg
  • Sculpture man on the move Bernd Altenstein Waterloostrasse Hanover Germany 04.jpg

Horst Antes

Horst Antes (born 1936) established the new figurative painting in Germany together with other artists . At first his almost exclusive motif was the "cephalopod", implemented in painting, graphics and sculpture. The head goes directly into the feet, as is the case with his plastic figure September 1st . The work, made from an aluminum alloy, was installed in Hanover's old town in 1972. Since the sensitive material was often damaged there, the sculpture was handed over to the Sprengel Museum Hannover in 1983 . The museum placed them in front of its entrance. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, September 1 had become a subtle part of the urban environment there. The work would represent physical and mental agility.

At Georgsplatz you can find the two related sculptures Antes', head in hand and head with twelve eyes . They stand across the direction of walking along the historical axis from Aegidientorplatz to Kröpcke . A leaflet from the city's cultural office says that the many eyes of one sculpture illustrate the different perspectives of the people who work together for city life. Eyes and hands symbolized thinking and acting as the most important activities of living together. The two steel sculptures were erected in 1981.

  • Location Figure 1 September : Kurt-Schwitters-Platz, in front of the entrance to the Sprengel Museum Hannover ( location )
  • Location head in hand : Georgsplatz ( location )
  • Location Head with twelve eyes : Georgsplatz ( location )

  • Figure 1 September (a "cephalopod")

  • Head in hand

  • Head with twelve eyes

Stephan Balkenhol

Two figures in the public space of Hanover are by Stephan Balkenhol (born 1957 in Fritzlar ). The roughly hewn sculpture man with white shirt and black trousers is made of wood; it makes the material and its treatment clear. For this work, the alternative title Große Säulenfigur can be found in the literature . The figure stands on a 5 m high column near the Deutsche Bundesbank building. A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that the standing man appears to be looking into the distance and observing something there. That would surround him with an enigmatic aura. The Deutsche Bundesbank originally bought the sculpture for a branch in the new federal states. After the branch was closed, the man with a white shirt and black trousers came to Hanover in 2007. The sculpture can only be viewed during the day because its location on a semi-private passage is closed at night.

The former department store group KarstadtQuelle bought the bronze sculpture Man with Deer (or: Man with Deer Antlers ) in order to have it installed next to a new department store in 2002. According to the city's cultural office, the man with the deer shows an unreal, mysterious connection between humans and animals. In contrast to many other works of art, humans do not appear to be superior to animals. The depicted situation seems casual, like a snapshot. The sculpture breaks with the poses of historical models and can be understood as an alternative equestrian statue.

  • Location man with white shirt and black pants : passage between Georgsplatz and Osterstraße ( location )
  • Location Man with Deer : Andreaeplatz, corner of Schillerstraße ( location )

  • Man with white shirt and black pants

  • Man with deer

Floriano Bodini

The Ensemble Göttinger Sieben by Floriano Bodini consists of several larger than life bronze sculptures. They were set up in 1998. Bodini's work is a memorial to the seven professors of the University of Göttingen who protested against the repeal of the constitution in the Kingdom of Hanover in 1837 . As a result, King Ernst August dismissed the university lecturers, and some of them were also expelled from the country. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the monument should encourage exploration of details and references to democracy, power and participation. The rider is the professors' adversary, King Ernst August. Albert Wolff created an equestrian statue of this very person as early as 1861, which stands in front of the main train station . Bodini's friends, whom he portrayed on their behalf, served as models for the figures. The Göttingen Seven were paid jointly by Lower Saxony companies, foundations, associations and citizens. The sculptures belong to the state of Lower Saxony.

The city hired a panel of experts to assess the condition and quality of the public works of art. In the final report published in 2008 there is a critical judgment on Bodini's work. The work is more of a classic monument than a contemporary art object. In their report, the reviewers compare the Göttingen Seven with other works on similar topics, with Auguste Rodin's Die Bürger von Calais as an example . Compared to these works, Bodini's figures fell apart, both in terms of design and in their historical-political statement. Bodini's work polarizes: In Hanover there is no other that is perceived so differently by laypeople and experts, both in the history of its origins and in its artistic aspects and in its reception. Historical contexts should be conveyed through texts that can be found on the bronze tablets. This doesn't work well. Even an explanatory leaflet, available in the state parliament, could not help much. It is therefore hardly clear to any observer that the rider is the same King Ernst August as in front of the main train station. The commission recommended that this parallel should be better conveyed, for example by changing artistic interventions on the square. Such actions could be supervised by schools or universities. The quality of stay in the place could be increased through additional design measures. According to the Commission, Bodini's work had not succeeded in revitalizing the functional and un-urban space. The experts generally welcomed the fact that the location and the award of the property were determined through a competition. However, the implementation of the competition was unsuccessful in terms of concept and form. This almost completely wasted the chance to artistically deal with an event in the country's history that is still important today.

Hans Breder

The sculpture in between by Hans Breder was originally created in 1971 under the title Außenobjekt Hannover and was part of the “street art program”. Corrosion and vandalism led Breder to create a new version in 2002. This has a significantly different shape compared to the old sculpture, it was set up not far from the old location. in between is made of corten steel . This is a weatherproof structural steel that forms a permanent rust layer on its surface. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it is said about the sculpture that it initially appears minimal and pragmatic. When placed in relation to the urban environment of its location, the concentrated effect becomes apparent: the directions, lines and levels contained in the sculpture are continued in the environment.

  • Sculpture in between Hans Breder Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture in between Hans Breder Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Hans-Jürgen Breuste

The Hanover-born object artist Hans-Jürgen Breuste (1933 to 2012) often dealt with political issues in his work and expressed himself socially critical in this way.

His steel sculpture memorial court prison is reminiscent of a prison behind the main train station where the National Socialists imprisoned their opponents. In the mid-1980s a debate broke out on how to commemorate the victims. Initially only a text panel was discussed, later a memorial with text. As early as 1985, Breuste received the order to make a design for it. Since it was not possible for a long time to come to an agreement on where the memorial should be erected and with which wording the blackboard text should be formulated, the sculpture only found its way to Raschplatz in 1989 . The discussions centered in particular on whether only the KPD politician Ernst Thälmann should be mentioned as the most prominent prisoner or whether other victims should also be honored. Eventually, it was agreed to include significantly more information. A commission set up by the city attested the sculpture in 2008 that it looked a bit bold and one-dimensional, which would be an obvious memorial at this point. The commission also found that the plastic was rusting and smeared. She therefore recommended that the memorial be checked, cleaned and, if necessary, repaired.

Breustes work Bogside '69 and Derry deal with the content of the Northern Ireland conflict. Bogside '69 was created to mark the 20th anniversary of Amnesty International . The property was first erected in 1981. It shows a stone fist that is enclosed by iron bands. The granite used for Faust came from a quarry from which the National Socialists used to extract material for ideological monumental sculptures. Among them was the sculptor Arno Breker , who led a group of students there. Breuste unites three themes in terms of content with this work: political violence under National Socialism, the ideals of the human rights organization Amnesty International and civil rights violations from 1969 in Northern Ireland. The title of the object relates to the last topic. Bogside '69 has been located at its current location in Hanover's pedestrian zone since 1989. The above-mentioned commission suggested that the granite of Faust be reconditioned. The aim is to restore the strong color contrast that originally existed between the light stone and the deliberately aged iron.

The work Derry came to the parking lot of the Sprengel Museum Hannover in 1984 after an exhibition of works by Breustes. It was created at the request of the then museum director Dr. Büchner. In the course of the second museum expansion, the work had to give way. In 2014 it was not far from the old location on Culemannstrasse.

  • Location of the memorial court prison : Lister Meile , in front of the pavilion ( location )
  • Location Bogside '69 : Osterstraße, corner of Kleine Packhofstraße ( location )
  • Derry location : Culemannstraße ( location )

  • Memorial court prison

  • Memorial court prison

  • Bogside '69

  • Bogside '69

  • Derry

  • Derry

Gerhard Bünemann

The architect Gerhard Bünemann, who works for the building administration of Hanover, designed the Körting fountain . His design with the heads of horses and mythical animals prevailed in an internal competition. The stainless steel figures have been standing in Körtingstrasse since 1976.

  • Sculpture Fountain Koertingstrasse Gerhard Buenemann Lister Meile Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Fountain Koertingstrasse Gerhard Buenemann Lister Meile Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Angela Bulloch

The light installation Pacific Rim Around & Sideways Up is one of five works that Norddeutsche Landesbank (Nord / LB) had made for its new office building on Aegidientorplatz . A commission of experts first determined the artists who then received an order through a competition. The installation attached to the exterior facade in 2002 was made by the Canadian Angela Bulloch (born 1966 in Rainy River). It is the only one of the five works of art that can be viewed without entering the site. However, this only works in the dark: During the day, the five by 30 monitors are integrated into the facade and remain invisible. At night, Pacific Rim Around & Sideways Up appears , with the square surfaces glowing and changing subtly. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, Bulloch thus thematize modes of operation and principles of order. The topics here relate to the microcosm of urban society: the work is clearly outlined, but is constantly changing, structures and transitions are suggested. Simply looking at it is not enough to grasp the end of the process. Pacific Rim Around & Sideways Up is part of the Nord / LB art collection.

  • Pixel wall artwork Nord-LB office building Friedrichswall Hanover Germany.jpg
  • Artwork Pacific Rim Angela Bulloch Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Artwork Pacific Rim Angela Bulloch Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Vera Burmester

Couples in love please kiss here

Alexander Calder

The patron Bernhard Sprengel donated the halberdiers , also known as Guadeloupe , to the city of Hanover . He found that the “street art program” lacked international contributions: The creator of the halberdiers , Alexander Calder , was born in 1898 in the USA. The city had the red painted steel sculpture set up in front of the opera house in 1972 . The citizens could not make friends with her there, which is why she was transferred to the Maschsee. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office, it is stated that Calder's work is being transferred to Platz from the cultural site of the Sprengel Museum to the Maschsee leisure area . In addition, as a contribution to modernity, she opposes the local sculptures from the time of National Socialism ( torchbearers and fish with riding putti by Hermann Scheuertstuhl ).

  • Location: Kurt-Schwitters-Platz, on the north bank of the Maschsee ( location )
  • Sculpture Halberdier Alexander Calder Nordufer Hanover Germany 03b.jpg
  • Sculpture Halberdier Alexander Calder Nordufer Hanover Germany 01.jpg

Emil Cimiotti

The bronze fountain sculpture Ständehausbrunnen found its place in Hanover's pedestrian zone after the construction of the underground station at Kröpcke was completed in the mid-1970s. Its creator, Emil Cimiotti (born 1927 in Göttingen), is considered an important representative of informal art in Germany. According to the city's cultural office, it is atypical for this fountain that it is only table height. Therefore he can be easily surveyed. In the hustle and bustle of the city center, the fountain becomes a purpose-free resting place whose playful design invites you to look at it. The plants shown look as if they are living and growing, thus simulating naturalness. This artificial, static state can also be found in other works by Cimiotti, with which he addresses transience. Another fountain sculpture by Cimiotti is on Baringstrasse.

  • Ständehausbrunnen location : Karmarschstrasse, in the pedestrian zone at the height of Ständehausstrasse ( location )
  • Blätterbrunnen location (?): Baringstrasse ( location )

  • Ständehaus fountain

  • Ständehaus fountain

  • Fountain sculpture on Baringstrasse

  • Fountain sculpture on Baringstrasse

Eugène Dodeigne

The Belgian sculptor Eugène Dodeigne (born 1923 in Rouvreux) created two ensembles of sculptures in downtown Hanover.

With the five figures of the Etude IV ensemble , Dodeigne dispensed with details and accessories, the bodies are reduced to their posture. They have been standing on a small, grassy elevation since 1985, which was created especially for them as part of the redesign of the Königsworther Platz area. Before that, the Brunsberg gallery exhibited the figures on Emmichplatz before the city bought Etude IV .

The big family came to Trammplatz in 1971 with the “street art program” . In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it is said about this work that its title suggests kinships and relationships. He pointed to people with their own character who shared stories with each other. The viewer is encouraged to think of a social structure that is shaped by individual experiences and feelings. In 1997 the big family moved to the nearby meadow next to the August Kestner Museum to make room for Ludger Gerdes' fountain.

  • Etude IV

  • Etude IV

  • The big family

  • The big family

WP Eberhard Eggers

The bronze sculptures Guardians by the Hanoverian artist WP Eberhard Eggers (1939 to 2004) frame the entrance to the Kröpcke-Passage. Their owners bought the figurines for the 10th anniversary of the shopping arcade and had them put up in 1998. The Guardians became a trademark and can also be found in the logo of the Kröpcke-Passage. Its creator Eggers was initially characterized by his extensive graphic oeuvre before he began to convert graphics into sculptural works with the help of machine techniques in the 1980s. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the technical alienation of the characters can be read as a comment on humanity in a modern society. An expert commission, which from 2006 onwards dealt with the condition of Hanover's public works of art, found mostly critical words: The sculptures were more decorative than artistic, which supported their placement in front of the shopping arcade and in the middle of the seats of a café. The commission recommended that the sculptures be disposed of and that the site should not be reoccupied.

Another work by Eggers is on Braunschweiger Platz : Dicker Mann Eats Maus . The Döhrener Sphinx can be found at Fiedelerplatz in Döhren .

  • Guardians location : Luisenstraße ( location )
  • Location fat man eats mouse : Braunschweiger Platz ( location )
  • Döhrener Sphinx location : Fiedelerplatz ( location )

  • The one Guadian

  • The other Guardian

  • Fat man eats mouse

  • Fat man eats mouse

  • Döhrener Sphinx

Ulrike Enders

The two bronze figures Two People in the Rain by Ulrike Enders (born 1944 in Oberstdorf) are in Hanover's pedestrian zone near the Kröpcke . A leaflet from the city's cultural office attests to the figures that they literally met passers-by at eye level. The passer- by is brought to confrontation with the people , he can move and position himself between them. Thanks to their familiar design and function, the figures acted as a haven in the hustle and bustle of the shopping area. Local businessmen bought the people and had them set up in 1983. Many other works by Enders can be found in the city of Hanover.

  • Location Two people in the rain : Georgstrasse, level with Große Packhofstrasse (near Kröpcke ) ( location )
  • Location Lindener Butjer : Minister-Stüve-Straße in Linden ( location )
  • Location Three shell limestone steles : Berliner Allee / Merchants' Square ( location )
  • Location Momo : Michael-Ende-Platz ( location )

  • Two people in the rain

  • Two people in the rain

  • Lindener Butjer

  • Three shell limestone steles

  • Momo

Jürgen Friede

Jürgen Friede created a nameless sculpture that was initially placed in front of the Ballhof . This happened in 1994 at the instigation of the Artforum gallery. However, the sculpture stood in the way of events that were increasingly taking place in the forecourt of the theater. That is why the city bought the work in 2005 and relocated it to Vahrenwalder Straße after consultation with Friede . The sculpture is now on the median strip in front of the former administration building of Continental AG .

In 2006 the city appointed an expert commission to determine the condition of the public works of art. The commission judged Friede's work to be of insufficient quality to assert itself in front of the historically important facade of the administration building. The building was built between 1912 and 1914 according to a design by Peter Behrens . In addition, the placement in the middle of a main road is unfortunate, as is so often the case. Pedestrians hardly have the opportunity to approach the object; the list is one-dimensional based on traffic. The commission therefore advised to find a cheaper location for the plastic. She also recommended leaving the space in front of the administration building free so as not to diminish its effect.

  • Location: At the beginning of Vahrenwalder Strasse, level with Henry-Lüders-Strasse ( location )
  • 03B Jürgen Friede.jpg
  • 03C Jürgen Friede.jpg
  • Sculpture by Jürgen Friede on Vahrenwalder Straße.jpg

Dominik Geilker and Stefanie Schmoll

The installation o. T. comes from the young landscape architects Dominik Geilker (born 1978) and Stefanie Schmoll (born 1979). The work is on the elongated central island on Aegidientorplatz . The idea of ​​building an artificial birch forest in the center of the busy intersection came about as part of a workshop. The workshop was led by Udo Weilacher , then a professor at Leibniz University Hannover . The grasses planted on the ground are also part of the work, which makes use of the means of the visual arts , although it emerged from a landscape architecture project. According to the city's cultural office, the installation is dedicated to the directions, movements, changes and conditions in this hectic place. She subtly illustrates the wind as a natural influence and at the same time points to naturalness by reproducing it in an abstract way. The work was paid for by Nord / LB , Sparkasse Hannover , Sparkassenverband Niedersachsen and VGH Insurance . These companies, all of which have their headquarters in the immediate vicinity, were decisive in choosing the project.

  • Sculpture oT Dominik Geilker Stefanie Schmoll Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany.jpg
  • Sculpture oT Dominik Geilker Stefanie Schmoll Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Ludger Gerdes

Klaus Bahlsen fountain

Volker Gerlach

Volker Gerlach designed the sculpture Large Walkable Hanover , placed near the Ihmeufer in 1976. It consists of seven curved stainless steel surfaces up to four meters high, between which one can walk.

  • Location: Near the Ihmeufer, at the bend of Calenberger Strasse and Glockseestrasse ( location )
  • Sculpture Large Walkable Volker Gerlach Calenberger Strasse Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Large Walkable Volker Gerlach Calenberger Strasse Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture Large Walkable Volker Gerlach Calenberger Strasse Hanover Germany 04.jpg
  • Sculpture Large Walkable Volker Gerlach Calenberger Strasse Hanover Germany 08.jpg

Wolf Gloßner

The stainless steel sculpture Cross Tower by Wolf Gloßner (1940 to 2017) was bought by an arts and crafts dealer in order to set it up in front of his shop on Karmarschstrasse in 1997. The city later acquired the property, encouraged by the Sparkasse and with the support of the Lower Saxony Lotto Foundation . A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that the Cross Tower initially appears calm because it is hardly noticeable due to its size and shape. Only when the passer-by comes close to him does it develop its effect. The sculpture invites you to look at it from different angles, to discover lines and levels on it. With the strong vertical emphasis, it guides the view upwards. The shape of the Cross Tower is characteristic of Gloßner: it refers to the history of the building, appears to be carried by feelings and mysterious.

Gloßner's plastic gate is much older than the Cross Tower . It was placed on the green central island of Goetheplatz in 1982. A foundation was used for this, which was originally built for the red glass tower by Hans Kuhn.

  • Cross Tower location : Karmarschstrasse ( location )
  • Location gate : Goetheplatz ( location )

  • Cross Tower

  • Cross Tower

  • goal

  • goal

Jorge La Guardia

Jorge La Guardia created his plastic Penetracion (penetration) to complement the House of the Chamber of Crafts. The steel object has stood on a lawn on Berliner Allee since 1979. In 2006 the city commissioned an expert commission to deal with the state of the public works of art. About the Penetracion , the reviewers judged that the sculpture was not entirely successful in its implementation and that there were formal inconsistencies. In relation to the adjacent building, however, the sculpture has a coherent character, which, however, is striking. The commission criticized the installation for the fact that the plastic was too oriented towards the street.

  • Location Penetracion : Berliner Allee, in front of the House of the Chamber of Crafts ( location )
  • Sculpture penetration Jorge La Guardia Berliner Allee Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture penetration Jorge La Guardia Berliner Allee Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture penetration Jorge La Guardia Berliner Allee Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Karl Hartung

The large spherical shape made of sand-lime brick by Karl Hartung (1908 to 1967) was the first abstract sculpture to find its way into the streets of Hanover. It may even have been the first abstract work in West Germany to be acquired by a city after the war. It first came to Hanover as an exhibit in front of the Berlin Pavilion at the Hanover Fair and was purchased in 1956. At first it stood in front of the newly built Werner von Siemens School in the List , before it was converted into a memorial for the division of Germany and, with a text, set up on the roundabout at Aegidientorplatz . In 1976 the spherical shape finally changed to its current location on Georgswall, corner of Friedrichswall . According to the city's cultural office, it is a place of reflection between the quiet cul-de-sac and the busy street. It serves as an inviting counterpart to the human body, keeping a clear view at head level.

In 2006 the city commissioned an expert commission to assess the condition of the public art objects. The commission complained about the large spherical shape that the historical references were not revealed to the viewer unless he had any prior knowledge. The Commission therefore suggested adding an explanatory text.

  • Sculpture Large Ball Shape Karl Hartung Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany 03.jpg
  • Sculpture Large Ball Shape Karl Hartung Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 04.jpg
  • Sculpture Large Ball Shape Karl Hartung Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Erich Hauser

The sculptor Erich Hauser (1930 to 2004) created several steel sculptures for Hanover. His relief o. T was created in 1965 as art in building for the municipal gallery KUBUS on Theodor-Lessing-Platz. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office, it is said that the relief determined the appearance of the building from the start, without degenerating into simple facade decoration. With its name - Kubus, i.e. cube - the building stands for an orderly, neutral exhibition space. With the steel surfaces pointing in many different directions, Hauser's work defies them. In this way, the relief emphasizes the independence of the art inside the house and becomes the figurehead of this institution that can be seen from afar.

The stainless steel sculpture Stahl 5/81 was erected in front of the entrance to the Sprengel Museum in 1981 shortly after the opening . According to the city's cultural office, the work sets the mood for the museum, has a direct connection with the building and uses clear visual effects.

The plastic steel 17/87 with its 16 m width towers over the median of the Brühlstrasse. The work met with such a positive response from the citizens that the Hanoverians contributed financially to its purchase. The townspeople call it the "Angel of Steel" because of its shape. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it says about steel 17/87 , different sized and aligned steel plates create a tension that lets the sculpture work. The multi-layered levels and reflective surfaces are related to the surrounding office buildings. Stahl 17/87 was first shown at the “Stahl 2” exhibition (Galerie kö 24) and then moved to its location on Hanover's sculpture mile .

  • Location o. T .: Theodor-Lessing-Platz ( location )
  • Location Stahl 5/81 : Kurt-Schwitters-Platz, in front of the Sprengel Museum Hannover ( location )
  • Stahl 17/87 location : Brühlstrasse, at the height of Andertensche Wiese ( location )

  • o. T.

  • o. T.

  • Steel 5/81

  • Steel 5/81

  • Steel 17/87

  • Steel 17/87

HAWOLI (Hans Wolf Lingemann)

The rotating screws by HAWOLI (Hans Wolf Lingemann, born 1935 in Bleckede), like many other objects as part of the “street art program”, found their place on Hanover's streets and squares in the early 1970s. The screws, made of red lacquered polyester , have been on Georgsplatz since 1971 and are - in the opinion of the city's cultural office - street art in the true sense of the word: they could be moved, act like a signal and stimulate one to think about one's own actions. HAWOLI actually wanted his sculptures to be set up in a different place, where they would get in the way of those passing by and thus provoke a stronger confrontation with them. At Georgsplatz, the screws are now part of a larger ensemble of street art that has grown over the years. A leaflet from the cultural office states that the individual objects there encountered different demands that would be made on art in an urban environment.

In 2006 the city appointed a commission to determine the state of the public works of art. In its final report, the commission recommended that the rotating screws be placed closer to the sidewalk, as requested by HAWOLI, should Georgsplatz be redesigned. The color would also have to be refreshed and the screws should regain their originally easy mobility. The commission viewed the entire ensemble at Georgsplatz critically: It was a collection of different works, the selection of which did not reveal an overall concept and which therefore had an arbitrary effect. The works of art conveyed the impression of a “museum open-air exhibition” rather than contemporary non-institutional art. Pavement design, lanterns, waste paper baskets and parking machines competed with the objects, making the situation downright chaotic in terms of design.

  • Location: Georgsplatz, in front of the BHF bank ( location )
  • Sculpture Rotatable Screws HAWOLI Georgsplatz Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Rotatable Screws HAWOLI Georgsplatz Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Bernhard Heiliger

The iron sculpture Deus ex machina by Bernhard Heiliger (1915 to 1995) was the first work in 1985 that was placed to build the sculpture mile. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it is said about the sculpture that abstract building blocks that take up technical symbols are connected to one another in it. The diverse formal references come into their own when the sculpture is viewed from different angles. In addition to Hans Uhlmann and Karl Hartung , Bernhard Heiliger, another important post-war sculptor, is represented in Hanover.

An expert commission commissioned by the city dealt with the public works of art from 2006 onwards. In Heiliger's work she criticized the location on the median of a busy street. Pedestrians hardly had the opportunity to see the work up close. It is precisely the intentional viewing from different perspectives that cannot be achieved. Also, because of the unfortunate location, the work cannot correspond with its surroundings. In its final report published in 2008, the commission therefore recommended that the sculpture be placed on an open area. There she has enough space to develop appropriately.

  • Location: Leibnizufer , between Goethestrasse and Clemensstrasse ( location )
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John Henry

Symphony in Red is a typical work by John Henry (born 1943 in Lexington, USA), who prefers to design large-scale steel objects. The steel beams by Symphony in Red , piled up like chopsticks from a Mikado game , were specially created by Henry for the center island of Königsworther Platz . At this intersection, five multi-lane streets meet, noise and hectic rush determine the place almost around the clock. A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that the object depicts the complexity of the intersection and at the same time holds something against it by turning it into a landmark that can be seen from afar. Symphony in Red belongs to the Lower Saxony Lotto Foundation, which it has given to the city on a permanent basis. The object is part of Hanover's sculpture mile .

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  • Sculpture Symphony in Red Henry Koenigsworther Platz Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Stephan Huber

The installation The Great Light in Front of the Künstlerhaus by Stephan Huber (born 1952 in Lindenberg, Allgäu) emerged as the result of a competition that the Kunstverein Hannover and the Lower Saxony Foundation launched. The reason for the competition was the 150th anniversary of the Künstlerhaus in 2006. The glass and metal chandelier suspended in the same year becomes part of the street lighting in the dark. Driven by a motor, the chandelier also swings like a bell before an event in the Künstlerhaus. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office, Huber's object says that its baroque appearance makes Das Großer Leuchten an ironic statement on culture: on the one hand, the chandelier appears overloaded, heavy and expensive, on the other hand it stimulates and inspires the imagination and resist. The Lower Saxony Foundation based in the Künstlerhaus contributed to the cost of the work of art.

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Schang (Jean Albert) Hutter

Jean Albert "Schang" Hutter (born 1934 in Solothurn, Switzerland) made sure that the area in front of the district court was artistically designed with the multi-part installation Veitstanz . In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the many figures made of red lacquered steel were undertaking an attempt at urban development that was unusual for Hanover: They wanted to give the fragmented square a more closed appearance by bringing together their surroundings as decentralized elements. The figures appeared naive and playful dynamic, thus crossing the multi-layered spatial levels. The Veitstanz belongs to the state of Lower Saxony.

Starting in 2006, an expert commission examined and assessed the condition of public art objects in Hanover. The experts commissioned by the city also took the St. Vitus dance into account . They attested the object to appear formally anachronistic, its sculptural design seemed arrested and outdated at the time of its creation. Attempting to give the square a closed character would be difficult for the artist, given the urban situation. The appearance of the work is tarnished by the faded color. The lighting set up for the property also only works in parts. Some of the lighting masts also disrupted the work and heavily overgrown bushes blocked the view. In addition to refreshing the color, the commission recommended in its final report that the lighting concept be reconsidered. The planned redesign of the square could, in the best case, ensure that work is given more peace and quiet to work.

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  • Sculpture Veitstanz Schang Hutter Volgersweg Hanover Germany 01.jpg
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Allen Jones

The plastic summer by the British artist Allen Jones (born 1937 in Southampton) was shown by the Norddeutsche Landesbank for the opening of the Nord / LB gallery at its headquarters on Aegidientorplatz . After the exhibition, the bank bought the work, made of lacquered Corten steel, to be placed in the entrance area of ​​the new office building. Jones is primarily concerned with painting and sculpture, which he dedicates to the reduced human figure. In the late 1960s, Jones caused a stir with installations that could be used as pieces of furniture and consisted of seemingly realistic female bodies. In his "Sungoddess" series, Summer is the greatest work and also the only one that bears an individual name. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the deconstructed body appears to be rising from the ground in flowing motion. Although the figure remains rather sketchy, it still exudes strength and grace. It was later moved to Georgsplatz, next to the old bank building.

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  • Sculpture Summer Allen Jones Georgsplatz Hanover Germany.jpg

Günter fights

The facade work o. T. by Günter Kampf (1914 to 1992) was attached to the back of the Maritim Hotel in 1971 as part of the “street art program”. The enamel -Kacheln that make up the area composed mediated typical of the 1970s value in the opinion of the municipal cultural offices; the work of art adopts an aesthetic from advertising. The interchangeable tiles were meant to stimulate thought and formed a strong contrast to the surrounding concrete surfaces.

In 2006 the city of Hanover set up an expert commission to assess the condition of the public works of art. The commission attested that Kämpfes enamel tiles were only historically significant and could no longer tie in with the present. The work seems like a reminder of the "street art program" and should better be exhibited in a museum if the square is redesigned.

  • Location: Theodor-Lessing-Platz ( location )
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Fritz Koenig

The bronze sculpture Large Call Sign by Fritz Koenig (1924 to 2017) was bought by VGH Versicherungen and in 1973 had it installed next to their new office building on Schiffgraben . According to the city's cultural office, a special feature of Koenig's work is that he uses simple geometric shapes to even represent people. The big callsign , however, has no concrete content and acts like an “exclamation mark”: as a general instruction to be careful. The work is less related to the office building than to the larger urban environment. The sidewalk with the call sign hardly invites you to stroll, it runs through an undefined area past stately but impersonal office facades. In this environment, the work in its threatening appearance can also be understood as a social commentary.

In 2006, the city of Hanover entrusted an expert commission to assess the condition and quality of the public works of art. In its statement, the commission described Koenig's call sign as successful and was also satisfied with the location. Only the inconsistent pavement should be redesigned. In its current form, it is confusing to the eye.

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Joseph Kosuth

The light installation o. T. by the American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth (born 1945) shows a quote from the Hanoverian scholar Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 to 1716). Only when it is dark can the lettering be recognized on the back wall of the Historical Museum , part of the 17th century armory. The words point to a central idea that Leibniz summarized in his metaphysical theories. The quote is about looking at something from a distance, among other things. A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that the content can also be related to the installation itself, because the words can be read from the Leibnizufer opposite . The work was donated to the city by the Lower Saxony Sparkassenstiftung and installed in 2000.

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Rainer Kriester

Big injured head

Berto Lardera

The Italian-French sculptor Berto Lardera (1911 to 1989) originally created his sculpture Ile de France for the world exhibition in Montreal , where it was presented by France. At the suggestion of Harald Seiler, then director of the State Museum, the work came to Hanover in 1969. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it says about the work that at that time there was no other object in public space in Hanover besides the Ile de France that implemented the concept of autonomous sculpture so consistently. Vertical and horizontal steel plates would give it a multi-layered space and create an abstract shape. The viewer can look through the sculpture or let his gaze follow its elements. After temporary storage in the Sprengel Museum Hannover , the Ile de France was moved to its current location on Culemannstrasse in 1998.

A panel of experts examined and assessed the condition and quality of the works of art in public spaces. This was done from 2006 to 2008 on behalf of the city. The experts found the installation site of Ladera's work to be consistent, provided that the work is viewed from Culemannstrasse. However, the base is far too low and does not do justice to the proportions of the work. As a result, the commission recommended that a higher plinth be used again, as it had been when it was erected in front of the State Museum.

  • Location: Culemannstrasse ( location )
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Alf Lechner

The plastic circle position - square arrangement - sphere by Alf Lechner (born 1925 in Munich) marks the transition from the quiet Georgengarten to the lively city center at its location on Königsworther Platz . Set up at the edge of the busy intersection, it also introduces the sculpture mile. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it is said about Lechner's work that it is typical of them that different shapes arise again and again when you circle the objects. Changes in perspective dynamically ensured that the individual elements shifted against each other and reassembled. The sculpture made of Corten steel came to its place in 1987 after it had previously been shown in the exhibition “Stahl 1” (Galerie kö 24).

Later a pseudo-historical gate was set up behind the sculpture. In the opinion of the expert commission, which examined the condition of the public works of art in Hanover from 2006 onwards, this gate is considerably disruptive. Inadequate visual references would arise that would narrow Lechner's work and deprive it of its effect. The commission therefore asked for the sculpture to be moved, if possible at a nearby location, so that it could continue to form the beginning of the sculpture mile.

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Kurt Lehmann

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the sculptor Kurt Lehmann (1905 to 2000) created numerous reliefs and sculptures made of shell limestone and bronze that shaped the public space of Hanover. One of his works, the Umschauende , stands in front of the Ministry of Science and Culture on Leibnizufer . At the time of its installation in 1957, the office building used by the ministry still belonged to Preussag AG , which financially supported the purchase of those looking around . Some of Lehmann's other works in Hanover are the sculpture of the fountain, Playing Kinter in Grupenstrasse, the spearmen in front of the football stadium, and the work Humility in the Aegidienkirche .

In 2006, the city of Hanover commissioned an expert commission to examine the condition of the public works of art and - if necessary - to suggest improvements. Lehmann's works were also affected. The location of those looking around has been criticized: the figure looks as if it is facing the street. As a result, the roadway provides a grid to which the plastic has to subordinate itself. In addition, the effect has to suffer from the street noise: Looking around is a quiet work that can only develop poorly. It was noticeable that although the sculpture was placed on the sculpture mile, it was not included in it. The commission therefore recommended a quieter location that would allow more intimacy. If no other location could be realized, at least one rotation of the base could break the geometric connection to the street.

The commission ruled that the spearmen no longer fit their current location in front of the stadium. When the former Lower Saxony Stadium was converted into the AWD Arena, the entrance area also underwent extensive changes. The sculpture now appears anachronistic, which is reinforced by its sacred character. The commission therefore advised moving the spearmen to a large lawn. The city park is particularly suitable because other works from this period are also displayed there.

  • Location bystanders : Leibnizufer , level with Clemensstrasse ( location )
  • Location of children playing : Grupenstrasse ( location )
  • Location Speerträger : Sportpark, in front of the HDI-Arena ( location )
  • Location Humility : in the ruins of the Aegidienkirche (Breite Strasse / Osterstrasse) ( location )
  • Wächter location : Waterloostraße ( location )

  • Looking around

  • Children playing

  • Javelin thrower

  • humility

  • Guardian

Aristide Maillol

Aristide Maillol's sculpture L'Air was created in 1938, but did not find its way to Georgsplatz until 1961. Her style points back to the beginnings of classical modernism , whose sculptural figures shaped Maillol on the one hand and Auguste Rodin on the other. The female nude figure L'Air (dt .: the air) radiates a special lightness and looks as if she is floating, although she is made of heavy bronze. The sculpture was procured on the occasion of the town twinning that Hannover entered into with Perpignan after the war . The choice fell on Maillol because his birth and death place, Banyuls-sur-Mer , is not far from Perpignan. The SPD politician Carlo Schmid , born even in Perpignan, delivered a speech at the unveiling of L'Air in March 1961. Paid was the work of the Lower Saxony State Bank, the predecessor of the Nord / LB .

  • Location: Georgsplatz ( location )
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Francesco Mariotti

The light art benches by the Swiss artist Francesco Mariotti (born 1943 in Bern) belong to an edition of 1000 pieces that the artist sold internationally. The installations were therefore not designed according to their location, but instead represented an example of globalized art, according to the city's cultural office. The benches, which are illuminated with changing colors at night, are lined up on Georgsplatz along Georgstraße as a historical axis. This connects three important urban areas: the Opernplatz, the aforementioned Georgsplatz and the Aegidientorplatz . The axis was conceived in 1819 by the urban planner and architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves . The light-art benches arranged their position by indicating its direction and limiting it to the rear. In the summer of 2014, the objects were in a poor state of preservation: the lamps in numerous glass blocks were defective, and in some cases entire benches remained dark.

  • Location: Georgsplatz, near Baringstrasse ( location )
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  • Sculpture Licht-Kunst Baenke Francesco Mariotti Georgsplatz Hanover Germany.jpg

Matschinsky-Denninghoff (Martin Matschinsky and Brigitte Denninghoff)

The sculpture Genesis by the artist couple Matschinsky-Denninghoff (Brigitte Denninghoff (1923 to 2011) and Martin Matschinsky (born 1921)) hit the streets of Hanover in 1987. The work was first shown at the exhibition "Stahl 1" by the gallery owner Robert Simon (Galerie kö 24). After the exhibition, Genesis found its place in front of the Continental AG administration building at Königsworther Platz . Contrary to what had been planned, the company did not buy the property; instead, the former IG Chemie took over the costs. As a result, the sculpture moved demonstratively to the opposite side of the street, in front of the union's federal headquarters. Made is Genesis of welded stainless steel Tubes. As with the many similar works of art by Matschinsky-Denninghoff in other German cities, here too a technoid design of the sculpture encounters the theme of an organic-plant process, according to the city's cultural office. Genesis is part of Hanover's sculpture mile .

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János Nàdasdy

The material for the plastic line clearing is from the bottom of the Hanoverian flow: In the line of Hungarian artists found János Nádasdy (born 1939 in Szigetszentmiklós) Bicycles, plates, machines and other things he pressed into cubes stacked on each other. The work was created within eleven years, between 1981 and 1991. During this period, Nádasdy collected metal scrap and rubbish on three occasions, always on the occasion of the Old Town Festival . The sculpture is dedicated to the artists Kurt Schwitters and Karl Jakob Hirsch , who were very important for Nádasdy .

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Siegfried Neuenhausen

The bronze relief placed at the feet of the Hanoverians comes from the sculptor Siegfried Neuenhausen (born 1931), who created it on the occasion of Kurt Schwitters ' 100th birthday. The relief was installed in 1987. In Schwitters' words, his text treats visitors to the old town as a humorous homage, according to the work in a leaflet by the city's cultural office. The tourist area, with its many opportunities for consumption, seems particularly suitable not only to remind of the city's famous artist, but also to point out Schwitters' unsuitable handling of everyday life, language and design. Neuenhausen thus creates a work that is typical for him and of socio-political relevance, in keeping with his demands on art. He puts Schwitters' words in the way of the Hanoverians rather than having them at their feet - the installation is an offer to remember and to get confused in an appealing way.

Further works by Siegfried Neuenhausen can be found in the Hainholz district: between 2005 and 2012, he created the Hainhölzer sculpture trilogy together with the residents of the district . It includes the two game figures Queen and King (with the grove shoes arranged next to them ), the grove stele and the tram sculptures .

  • Location at the feet of the Hanoverians : Bonehauerstraße ( location )
  • Hainholz stele location : Fenskestrasse ( location )
  • Location Dame and König : Fenskestrasse, corner of Schulenburger Landstrasse ( location )

  • Laid at the feet of the Hanoverians

  • Laid at the feet of the Hanoverians

  • Queen and king

  • Hainholz stele

  • Hainholz stele

  • Tram sculptures

  • Tram sculptures

Michael F. Otto

The sculpture Die Wanderer was created as part of the limited-time campaign “Blat Schuss”, an art project to which students from the visual arts department of the Hanover University of Applied Sciences contributed. The work by Michael F. Otto (born 1960), made of Corten steel and erected in 1991, is the only contribution from the project that has remained permanently at its location. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office, it is said that Otto used the plastic to imitate the pictogram of a traffic sign that indicates parking spaces for hikers. In this way, he makes the city dwellers believe that they are close to nature. In the Wanderer, further opposites meet, such as the male and female silhouette or the different directions of movement of the figures. The sculpture encourages people to be aware of their surroundings instead of purposefully passing through them. The Wanderer belongs to the artist.

In 2006 the city set up an expert commission to assess the quality and condition of the public works of art. The final report of the commission said about Otto's work that the property would meet the requirements of a temporary university project. However, it is formally not convincing enough to persist in public space over the long term.

  • Location: Georgsplatz, on the forecourt of the Nord / LB old building ( location )
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  • Sculpture Die Wanderer Michael Otto Georgsplatz Hanover Germany.jpg

Waldemar Otto

The work The Encounter comes from the Worpswede sculptor Waldemar Otto (born 1929 in Petrikau, Poland). It represents two men who turn away from each other. The sculpture is placed in front of the Hanover Region House on Hildesheimer Straße .

Otto's Great Hephästos is on a central island on Hamburger Allee. An expert commission set up by the city in 2006 assessed, among other things, this sculpture: As usual, the installation in the middle of a busy street had failed. The work is difficult to perceive and it is difficult to get to it. A further impairment comes from advertising signs that are in the immediate vicinity. The commission advised looking for a new location that would take greater account of the surrounding architecture. The base is also unsuitable and should be replaced.

  • Location The encounter : In front of the entrance of the Haus der Region, on Hildesheimer Straße (near the beginning) ( location )
  • Great Hephästos location : Hamburger Allee, at Welfenstrasse ( location )

  • The encounter

  • The encounter

  • Great Hephestus

  • Great Hephestus

Christoph Rust

Christoph Rust (born 1953) created the light installation Red Shift as a commissioned work for the August Kestner Museum , after having emerged as the winner of a competition for facade design. The balancing act for Rust was, on the one hand, to take up the small-scale symmetry of the facade elements and, on the other, to distinguish itself artistically from the facade. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it says about the work that the seven light bars, increasing in length from left to right, are poetic and playful at the same time. The shortest bar is the same size as the facade modules and appears again in "negative form" as the space between the sixth and seventh bar. The bars light up one after the other in an electronically controlled sequence when it is dark. Another work by Rust in Hanover can be found at the beginning of Vahrenwalder Straße, the monument for Tatlin . Rust's installation Orchid is on Weissekreuzplatz.

  • Redshift

  • Redshift

  • Orchid

Max Sauk

The table fountain , which has been on Neustädter Markt since 1974, comes from Max Sauk . The object, which was created with public participation, was donated by Friedrich Engelke, a yarn wholesaler.

  • Location: Neustädter Markt in the Calenberger Neustadt ( location )
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Niki de Saint Phalle

The Nanas were among the first outdoor sculptures to be erected in Germany by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930 to 2002). The objects made of polyester have been on the Leibnizufer since 1974. Initially, the Nanas caused heated discussions, but now they are considered the city's landmarks. At the request of the artist, the citizens were allowed to name the figures. The Nanas are called Sophie, Caroline and Charlotte and thus have significant names for Hanover's history. They belong to Hanover's sculpture mile .

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  • Sculptures Nanas Niki de Saint Phalle Leibnizufer Hanover Germany 07.jpg
  • Sculptures Nanas Niki de Saint Phalle Leibnizufer Hanover Germany 08.jpg

Robert Schad

The installation In Vent by Robert Schad (born 1953 in Ravensburg) can be found in the inner courtyard of the Sparkasse office building on Aegidientorplatz . The former Kreissparkasse hired the sculptor to create a work of art for the publicly accessible interior of their headquarters. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the work, which was built in 1996, appears moved, almost organic, although a lot of steel was used for it. In contrast to the Günter Tollmanns angle elements in front of the same building, Schad used solid elements to show the effect of the wind. He also incorporated characteristics from dance and choreography into the work . In Vent you can neither see from the outside, nor can you see the work in its entirety. It makes the viewer move to its center. The inner courtyard is therefore not just a passage, but also becomes the resting center of the building. In Vent , the Sparkasse Hannover belongs.

  • Location: In the inner courtyard of the Sparkasse office building between Friedrichswall and Breite Straße ( location )
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  • Sculpture In Vent Robert Schad Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture In Vent Robert Schad Aegidientorplatz Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Ditmar skull

Ditmar Schädels body photogram .. we will continue on our way trusting in you ... reminds of a grave slab as well as of mythological appearances of a transitional state. A life-size human shadow under glass lies in the passage of the Aegidia Church, the harmonious placement, the reference to the ruins and the proximity to shadow relics of the victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki determine the work.

  • Location: since 2015 in the Aegidien Church ( location )

Hermann chafing chair

The bronze sculpture Man with Horse by Hermann Scheuertstuhl (1894 to 1982) on the Hohe Ufer refers to the historic stables and an earlier horse trough on the banks of the Leine . Rubble stones formed the material for the promenade built in 1956, and in 1957 the man with horse was added. Other works by Scheuenstuhl in Hanover can be found at the Maschsee : the sculptures Torchbearers and Putti with Fish date from the time of National Socialism.

  • Sculpture man with horse Hermann Scheuertstuhl Am Hohen Ufer Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture man with horse Hermann Scheuertstuhl Am Hohen Ufer Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Werner write

The graphic artist and painter Werner Schreib (1925 to 1969) created the relief sculpture Monument for Travelers for what was then the Intercontinental Hotel, which is now part of the Maritim Hotel Company . The relief, cast from concrete, was attached to the facade of the building near the hotel entrance in 1965. In a leaflet from the city's cultural office it says about the work that the structural ornaments made of seemingly abstract shapes are typical of writing. On closer inspection, however, the elements aroused associations relating to technical objects: grids, rollers and screws. In between, however, there are also organic-looking elements. The relief creates a liveliness that is in contrast to the strictly ordered structure. From its place on the facade it seems to accommodate travelers.

  • Relief Monument for Travelers Werner Schreib Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Relief Monument for Travelers Werner Schreib Friedrichswall Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Hein sinking

The sculptor Hein Sinken (1914 to 1987) created, among other things, kinetic objects in which wind can trigger movements. As part of the “street art program”, the anemokinetic object was found in the old town in front of the entrance to the historical museum. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, it appears there like an exhibition piece set up outside and creates a signal effect. The pronounced vertical character makes the object look like a meteorological measuring device. In a certain way, the sculpture also works like this: It visualizes air currents a few meters above the ground, makes movement or standstill visible. The flexible parts seemed to open and close at the same time in the wind, and slow and gentle reflections of light appeared on their surfaces. In 2006 the city commissioned an expert commission to examine the quality and condition of the public works of art. In their final report from 2008, the experts criticized the location of the anemokinetic object : Although the work is well suited as a signal point, it cannot really develop its effect in front of the modern museum building and the historic old town facades . At the time of the assessment, the rotating parts of the plastic were damaged so that the wind no longer had any effect. The expert committee therefore suggested restoring mobility. The location does not necessarily have to be changed.

The anemokinetic object III was also part of the “street art program”. In 1971 it stood in front of the opera and then changed its location several times. Since 2008 it has been located in its current location on Osterstrasse. A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that at the time of its creation the object embodied the prevailing maxim: art for everyone. The work continues to encourage people to initiate them and thus set them in motion. Therefore, children especially enjoyed it. The sculpture follows a playful and at the same time clear functional principle, the physical and geometric principles of which remain understandable. Although the highly “condensed” installation exudes a calming indolence with its movements, it extends beyond its space and interacts with its surroundings. The above-mentioned commission of experts found that trees that had grown tall now interfered with the work. The commission also found bicycle racks that had been set up right next to the base very detrimental. Basically, however, the property was successful and contributes to the quality of stay with its playful possibilities. The reviewers spoke out in favor of relocating the work when redesigning the surrounding area to the square opposite the world exhibition. There she would be freer. If the grid of the paving is also coordinated with the work, stronger references to the surroundings can be established. The base can be preserved, but has to be cleaned.

  • Location anemokinetic object : Burgstrasse, in front of the Historical Museum ( location )
  • Location anemokinetic object III : Osterstraße, corner of Karmarschstraße ( location )

  • Anemokinetic object

  • Anemokinetic Object III

Kenneth Snelson

The plastic Avenue K by Kenneth Snelson (born 1927 in Pendleton, USA) came to Hanover on the occasion of the “street art program”, where it was initially placed on a lawn in front of the Leineschloss . The city's cultural office writes about Snelson's intentions that he tried to understand the workings of physical forces and to depict them in space. Repetitive and mutually shifting motifs dominated the sculpture made of aluminum tubes and steel cables. Avenue K has stood at its current location near Friederikenplatz, where busy streets intersect, since 1997. The object indicating space and direction marks the beginning of the sculpture mile .

In 2006, the city of Hanover appointed an expert commission to assess the condition and quality of the public works of art. In its final report, published in 2008, the commission found clear words about the location of Snelson's work: The plastic could only work very badly in the chosen location. They can only be viewed from a distance through flowing traffic or from a vehicle, both of which are unsuitable options. Snelson's sculpture is severely narrowed between the six lanes, which affects both the size effect of the work and its relationship to the environment. The close proximity to the Duve fountain also makes the work seem out of place. The commission therefore recommended moving Avenue K to a large open space. A good, if not the best, solution would be the original installation location on the lawn in front of the Leineschloss. There the work could also remain part of the sculpture mile.

  • Sculpture Avenue K Kenneth Snelson Leibnizufer Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture Avenue K Kenneth Snelson Leibnizufer Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Avenue K Kenneth Snelson Leibnizufer Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Toni Stadler

The bronze sculpture Aegean by Toni Stadler (1888 to 1982) was first seen at an exhibition of the Kunstverein and was then acquired by the city. It has been at its location in the Maschteich since 1969 , a few meters in front of the stairs to the water. Its steps acted like a grandstand - according to the city's cultural office - in front of which Stadler's work was staged. The sculpture shows the organic nature of the pond as well as the park environment , while at the same time the Aegean appears to be a foreign body. The surrounding water serves as a base for the work, reflects it and keeps the viewer at a distance.

  • Sculpture Toni Stadler Maschteich Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture Toni Stadler Maschteich Hanover Germany.jpg

Rolf Szymanski

The city of Hanover bought Rolf Szymanski's women from Messina for an urban planning concept that was never implemented at the site of the bronze sculptures. On the edge of the Raschplatz , a new theater was to be built for a long time , but it was ultimately built elsewhere. At Raschplatz, the previous project can only be recognized by the sweeping open staircase; a makeshift department store above the stairs has been converted into a pavilion cultural center. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the sculptures, which were diffusely recognizable as figures, allowed Syzmanski's references to the stage and staging. But they also give incentives to think about action within society, which their individual titles support: "Black Sun Press", "Source" and "Day of Abundance". The women of Messina were established in 1977.

An expert commission checked the condition of the public art objects on behalf of the city. The 2008 final report on the women of Messina stated that the installation site must be redesigned. In its existing form, it is completely unsuitable for bringing the sculptures to bear. Another work by Szymanski, The Public Rose , is in front of the authorities on Waterlooplatz .

  • Location Women of Messina : Raschplatz , at the beginning of the Lister Meile ( location )
  • Location The public rose : Am Schützenplatz 1, in front of the authority building ( location )

  • Women of Messina

  • Women of Messina

  • Women of Messina

  • The public rose

  • The public rose

Rainer Tappeser

Rainer Tappeser designed the sculpture Kepler meets Copernicus as art in architecture for the Steinhoff furniture and furnishings store. In 1989 it moved its business from the city center to Braunschweiger Platz . Like the building itself, the two red painted steel pipes are derived from a cylinder. In contrast to the house, the plastic cylinders are extremely elongated.

  • Steinhoff building Braunschweiger Platz Hanover Germany.jpg
  • Sculpture Kepler meets Copernicus Rainer Tappeser Braunschweiger Platz 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Kepler meets Copernicus Rainer Tappeser Braunschweiger Platz 02.jpg

Günter Tollmann

The angle elements made of lacquered stainless steel in 1981 by Günter Tollmann (1926 to 1990) illustrate the longstanding occupation of their creator with objects that can be moved by people or by the wind. The then Kreissparkasse bought the plastic that was erected in 1983 and then donated it to the city of Hanover. Depending on their orientation, new rooms are constantly emerging, whereby the angle elements - in the opinion of the city's cultural office - are strongly integrated into the surroundings of their location. In this way, they can form a cuboid that corresponds to the city gallery KUBUS at the other end of the street. As a frame, they also underlined an axis beyond Aegidientorplatz . The city gate there was an important gateway from the south until the 18th century. The waving elements could therefore also be understood as a symbol that would stand for breaking old boundaries.

In 2006 the city appointed an expert committee to judge the quality and condition of the public works of art. Tollmanns Winkelemente received praise from the commission: Both the work and its location were successful. The gate-like entrance to Breite Straße is emphasized by the rotating objects. However, a street lamp that is placed in the immediate vicinity of the work is a major problem. The lamp must therefore be removed.

Another work by Günter Tollmann is on Vahrenwalder Straße, the movable sculpture II . The work originally took place in 1980 as part of a sculptor symposium at the Maschsee . It was painted black at the time. After a child was injured on the moving parts, a legal dispute broke out, as a result of which the plastic was moved to the median of Vahrenwalder Straße.

  • Winkelelemente location 1981 : Breite Straße, near Aegidientorplatz ( location )
  • Location movable plastic II : Vahrenwalder Straße, near the old airport ( location )

  • Angle elements 1981

  • Angle elements 1981

  • Movable plastic II

  • Movable plastic II

Hans Uhlmann

The work Stahlplastik 1965 by Hans Uhlmann (1900 to 1975) supplemented the parking garage in Schmiedestrasse that opened the previous year in 1966. Uhlmann was commissioned to design a sculpture that should be closely related to the house facade. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, the steel sculpture is a good example of how art slowly separated from construction in the 1960s. Here, architecture and object are coherently connected with each other: The facade structure is transferred to its urban environment via the work of art. The steel sculpture is not just a decoration of the building, but stands for itself without having to subordinate itself. In 2008, a commission of experts appointed by the city praised the work as an early excellent example of how successfully an artist could be integrated into a building process.

  • Location: Schmiedestrasse, corner of Corvinusweg ( location )
  • Sculpture Stahlplastik 1965 Hans Uhlmann Schmiedestrasse Hanover Germany 04.jpg
  • Sculpture Stahlplastik 1965 Hans Uhlmann Schmiedestrasse Hanover Germany 03.jpg
  • Sculpture Stahlplastik 1965 Hans Uhlmann Schmiedestrasse Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Timm Ulrichs

The head of the creator itself served as a model for the installation Kopf-Stein-Plaster by Timm Ulrichs (born 1940), cast in concrete . The work was created regardless of its later location and was placed in 1994 next to the underground car park driveway of an office building. Actually, a place next to the market church was planned, where more passers-by will likely encounter the heads by chance. The installation is quite hidden next to the office building. In the opinion of the city's cultural office, however, she forced to pause after she was discovered. The play on words in the title of the work is characteristic of Ulrichs' critical view of language. His cobblestone pavement ranges between a memorial with abstract content and an ironic contribution to urban design. It is the first permanent installation by the artist who has been designing temporary art events for public spaces since the 1960s.

  • Sculpture head-stone-paving Timm Ulrichs Schiffgraben Hanover Germany.jpg
  • Sculpture head-stone-pavement Timm Ulrichs Schiffgraben Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Herbert Volwahsen

Herbert Volwahsen's fountain sculpture transmitter and receiver was erected in 1957 as art on the newly built telephone exchange. Since the building now serves as a hotel, the content of the sculpture is shifting, according to the city's cultural office: the carrier pigeon, then used as an anachronistic symbol for the telephone, is now becoming a fundamental symbol for communication and travel. The two sandstone figures are said to be two unknown transmitters and receivers that illustrate the complexity of the interpersonal exchange. Volwahsen let himself be guided by expressive dance in order to depict the movement and inner dynamics of the figures.

  • Location: Schillerstraße, at the Rosenquartier ( location )
  • Sculpture Send Receive Herbert Volwahsen Schillerstrasse Hanover Germany.jpg
  • Sculpture Send Receive Herbert Volwahsen Schillerstrasse Hanover Germany 02.jpg

Andreas von Weizsäcker

The work Hangover , located under the Hochstrasse at Raschplatz, is by Andreas von Weizsäcker (1956 to 2008). It was created in 1991 as part of the art project "In the noise of the city - ten installations in Hanover city center". Initially only for a limited period, it was then issued permanently two years later. Lothar Romain initiated the project , supported by the Sprengel Museum Hannover and the Lower Saxony Foundation. It was the first targeted implementation of interfering art in Hanover. According to the city's cultural bureau, Von Weizsäcker's paper-wrapped car bodies looked like an ironic memorial to the concept of the car- friendly city that was devised in the 1960s. The work belongs to Weizsäcker's heirs.

  • Sculpture Hangover Andreas von Weizsaecker Raschplatz Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Hangover Andreas von Weizsaecker Raschplatz Hanover Germany 03.jpg
  • Sculpture Hangover Andreas von Weizsaecker Raschplatz Hanover Germany 04.jpg

Friederich Werthmann

Friederich Werthmann (born 1927) created the fat woman from Hanover in 1973 (Corten steel 600 × 400 × 400 cm, catalog raisonné No. 338) as art in construction for the former post office building (today Postbank). The steel object has been on Celler Strasse since 1973. A commission of experts examined the condition of the public works of art on behalf of the city. In the report published in 2008, the reviewers found consistently positive words about Werthmann's sculpture: the work is historically conclusive and has consistent proportions. The object does justice to its task of creating a context with the paving, the facade and the flags in front of the building.

  • Location: Celler Straße, in front of the Postbank building ( location )
  • Sculpture Kugelplastik Friederich Werthmann Celler Strasse Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Kugelplastik Friederich Werthmann Celler Strasse Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture Kugelplastik Friederich Werthmann Celler Strasse Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Joachim Wolff

The Lüders fountain , which was built in 1974 on the Lister Meile , was designed by the trained sculptor Joachim Wolff . The stainless steel object is named after its founder, master locksmith Henry Lüders.

  • Sculpture Lueders-Brunnen Joachim Wolff Lister Meile Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture Lueders-Brunnen Joachim Wolff Lister Meile Hanover Germany 02.jpg
  • Sculpture Lueders-Brunnen Joachim Wolff Lister Meile Hanover Germany 03.jpg

Fritz Wotruba

The bronze sculpture of a standing figure by Fritz Wotruba (1907 to 1975) initially found its place next to the Kreuzkirche in the old town. Like many other works, it came to Hanover in 1970 as part of the “street art program”. Just one year later, they were moved to their current location in the pedestrian zone in the city center. There, in the narrow Nordmannpassage, it can no longer really develop its effect, but it encounters far more passers-by than at the old square. A leaflet from the city's cultural office states that while many at the church interpreted the standing figure as a cross, between the shops it is usually seen as a body. This perception coincides with Wotruba's intention. His works were mostly characterized by geometric abstractions that appeared as figures.

  • Location: Nordmannpassage ( location )
  • Sculpture standing figure Fritz Wotruba Nordmannpassage Hanover Germany 01.jpg
  • Sculpture standing figure Fritz Wotruba Nordmannpassage Hanover Germany 02.jpg

literature

Leaflets with city maps

  • In the series Art in the City , subtitle Discover Art. On foot in the city , 6 leaflets have been published so far , which are intended to invite you to tour the city to the art objects with photos, explanations and excerpts from the city map and lead seamlessly from place to place. The leaflets are available free of charge at the Tourist Information , Ernst-August-Platz 8 (opposite Hanover Central Station , corner Luisenstraße ) and at numerous art venues in the city, but they can also be downloaded individually as PDF documents :

Web links

References and comments

  1. ^ A b c Helmut Knocke, Hugo Thielen: Hanover Art and Culture Lexicon. P. 40.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Art in the City. 3: Between Kurt-Schwitters-Platz and Aegidientorplatz. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Thomas Kaestle. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  3. ↑ Ehrtfried Böhm (texts), Reinhold Lessmann (photos): neue plastik in hannover / Kunstsinn, patronage, urban aesthetics / an example in the mirror of two decades, Steinbock-Verlag, Hanover 1967, pp. 27, 75, 80.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Art in the City. 2: Between Friederikenplatz and Kurt-Schwitters-Platz. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Thomas Kaestle. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  5. ↑ a b c d e Ines Katenhusen: Street art program (see literature)
  6. ^ Imre Grimm (text), Dirk Meußling (pictures): Das neue Hannover , Hannover: Schlütersche , 2002, ISBN 3-87706-671-2 , p. 79; online through google books
  7. ↑ Note: In the art and culture lexicon of Hanover on Since 40 (see literature) a Dieter de la Motte is mentioned differently .
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m art in the city. 4: Between Aegidientorplatz and Georgsplatz. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Thomas Kaestle. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Tradition and innovation. State of art in public space in the inner city area of ​​Hanover - perspectives for their maintenance and development . Expert opinion of the commission for art in public space of the state capital Hanover. April 2008. Available in the library of the Sprengel Museum Hannover .
  10. ↑ a b Andreas Franzke: Stephan Balkenhol.public - The sculptures in public space 1984-2008. Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2009. ISBN 978-3-7757-2293-3 .
  11. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Art in the City. 5: Between Georgsplatz and Andreaeplatz. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Thomas Kaestle. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Art in the City. 6: Between Andreaeplatz and Nordmannpassage. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Thomas Kaestle. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  13. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Ludwig Zerull: Art without a roof. Sculptures and objects in the cityscape of Hanover. 1992, Th. Schäfer publishing house, Hanover. ISBN 3-88746-278-5 .
  14. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m art in the city. 1: Between Königsworther Platz and Friederikenplatz. , Leaflet from the cultural office, City of Hanover. Editors: Anneke Schepke, Mona Windmann. Text: Susanne Schmidt-Barbo. Hanover, 2010. Download from hannover.de
  15. ↑ Compare with the text panel of the pillars on the Hainhölzer Markt: “This and the sculpture opposite on the Schulenburger Landstrasse (2012) form next to the Hainholz stele (2005) and the sculptures and reliefs on the Figurinenplatz and In dergrün Mitte (2010) Hainhölzer Sculpture Trilogy. All ceramic works were created by Siegfried Neuenhausen and residents of the district. "
  16. ↑ Discover art. Walking in the city. Information on the leaflets with city map excerpts