8th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition Biel

Presentation

8th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition, Biel 1986

Niklaus Morgenthaler

"Il s'agissait de permettre une fois aux sculpteurs suisses de se manifester en présentant leurs œuvres en plein air, dans le milieu pour lequel elles furent conçues. En prenant cette initiative au nom de l'Institut jurassien des Sciences, des Lettres et des Arts, nous entendions provoquer la confrontation des tendances les plus diverses et faire le point de la sculpture dans notre pays. Nous espérions enfin voir vibrer le public pour la sculpture, art social par excellence - ou qui devrait l'être - puisque ses réalisations se situent sur les façades et les places publiques, à la vue de chacun." President of the Organisation committee 1954: M.Marcel Joray, Dr ès sc.
Those were the objectives thirty-two years ago for the first Swiss Open-air Sculpture Exhibition. The French phrase "en plein air" describes more precisely than the German expression "im Freien" the complete exposure of the works of art in the midst of an everyday world that man continually shapes anew, be it rural or urban. The artist who ventures to engage with a manageable public space, asking the right questions and endeavouring to find valid answers, commits himself to one of the greatest challenges in the fine arts. The difficulties that face the realisation of such works are chiefly related to the ever-tightening web of – often conflicting – interests of the urban population.
"Nous espérions enfin voir vibrer le public pour la sculpture, art social par excellence".
In 1954 Marcel Joray described sculpture as a "social art par excellence". Nowadays it must meet this claim to an even greater degree. In a non-materialistic way, the world in which we live has become neither more social nor more humane despite all the hopes and wishes of those days.
The first Swiss Open-air Sculpture Exhibition was the courageous achievement of one man committed to culture, and of a City Council with a sense of curiosity that supported his project. The success of what was then the first and only open-air sculpture exhibition in Switzerland, and its repetition every four years, inspired most subsequent regional sculpture shows organised by entire valley communities, geographically marginalised townships, pedestrian areas and animal parks in large conurbations. It is scarcely easier to disguise the underlying desire to boost tourism, than it is to overlook the usually physically overstretched artists who, for entirely understandable reasons, wish to be present at each and every event.

It is this exhibition scene – one which threatens to be engulfed by PR and the spirit of Do-it-yourself – that forms the backdrop to our 8th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition, the context in which it has to stand its own ground.

"Le public a compris que l'artiste n'a plus nécessairement pour mission d'enjoliver ni même d'ennoblir, que le joli n'est pas le beau. Il finira par accepter ces figures sculpturales qui sont des idées, parfois apaisantes, parfois bouleversantes." Marcel Joray

I most certainly hope that it will stand its own ground!
Although the current event is very different from all its predecessors, it is nevertheless part of a tradition, adhering in a contemporary manner to the criteria set out by Marcel Joray as early as 1954: participating artists contribute by engaging with the location they have selected. Their interventions are often surprising and critical as well as provocative and thought-provoking; they will certainly help us see accustomed urban settings in a new light. The concept devised by me, the architect – theme, circuit, possible locations in the much-frequented city centre of Biel – has defined the number of artists – forty of them – and the intensity of their involvement. The works by the forty participants are, however, no less representative of the specificities of their origins than the much greater number of works presented at preceding exhibitions. Even a smaller number of works speaks volumes about the plurality of artistic concepts and manifestations that are a typical product of the federalist structures in which we live.

Having restricted myself to a manageable number of artists enabled me to ensure to a large extent that each participant was given adequate physical and technical support, and that I could be their advisor and consultant. That the Exhibition as a whole might be an exciting event that allows residents to see their daily environment in a new light – this has been my personal goal, for which I alone am to be held responsible.

The former watchmaking town of Biel is still a city of "makers", whose inhabitants and citizens are capable of taking responsible, yet uncomplicated and meaningful decisions – the artists and I have often had occasion to note this to our grateful surprise.

 
I would therefore like to thank each and everyone who has given the artists and myself to understand – by their attitude alone, without losing many words – that they have come on board the same boat, as it were, and are very curious to discover what there may be.
I take my hat off to the City of Biel!

Niklaus Morgenthaler,
Artistic Director

© Translation from German, August 2008: Margret Powell-Joss




  • bild 2, Calatrava Santiago, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • bild 2, Distel Herbert, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • 9696 KM, Wirz Dadi, expo 1986
    9696 KM
  • bild 4, Altherr Jürg, expo 1986
    bild 4
  • Zu Reisen ist der Vögel Winterschlaf, Wanner Reinhard, expo 1986
    Zu Reisen ist der Vögel Winterschlaf
  • Hoffnung, Buchwalder Ernst, expo 1986
    Hoffnung
  • Zwei Quadrate – Wasser – Oxyde, Kolb Spallo, expo 1986
    Zwei Quadrate – Wasser – Oxyde
  • ZWEI EINSIEDELEIEN, Sigrist Kurt, expo 1986
    ZWEI EINSIEDELEIEN
  • Sans titre, Pereda Ana, expo 1986
    Sans titre
  • Baustelle am Hauptstrom, Stocker Ludwig, expo 1986
    Baustelle am Hauptstrom
  • bild 1, Altherr Jürg, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 2, Fontana Corsin, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • bild1, Bruckner Kurt, expo 1986
    bild1
  • Eine Lanze für A, Zoderer Beat, expo 1986
    Eine Lanze für A
  • bild 3, Altherr Jürg, expo 1986
    bild 3
  • bild2, Briand Jean-Pierre, expo 1986
    bild2
  • Sonderausstellung Neuhaus-Stiftung ‚Mobiles‘, Linck Walter, expo 1986
    Sonderausstellung Neuhaus-Stiftung ‚Mobiles‘
  • bild2, Bruckner Kurt, expo 1986
    bild2
  • Grenzbereich, Covo Marc, expo 1986
    Grenzbereich
  • Ô VIDE: Vidéo, Oleson Muriel/Minkoff Gérald, expo 1986
    Ô VIDE: Vidéo
  • Augenhöhe, Frentzel Gunter, expo 1986
    Augenhöhe
  • bild 3, Förderer Walter M., expo 1986
    bild 3
  • Tierische Behausungen, Tschan Peter, expo 1986
    Tierische Behausungen
  • BIEL live / Bienne en direkt, Vogel Hannes, expo 1986
    BIEL live / Bienne en direkt
  • Bieler RIVIERA Biennoise, Dickerhof Urs/Luks Georges/Zaugg Marc, expo 1986
    Bieler RIVIERA Biennoise
  • Raumbau, Granwehr Florin, expo 1986
    Raumbau
  • bild1 , Briand Jean-Pierre, expo 1986
    bild1
  • bild 1, Fontana Corsin, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 1, Calatrava Santiago, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 1, Burkhalter Marianne/Haerle Christoph/Schaedler Mathias/Sumi Christian, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • Spirale, Jung Roland, expo 1986
    Spirale
  • Tensegrity-Turm: Münchhausens Leiter zum Mond, Wenger Peter, expo 1986
    Tensegrity-Turm: Münchhausens Leiter zum Mond
  • bild 1, Dubach Alois, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 2, Altherr Jürg, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • bild 2, Burkhalter Marianne/Haerle Christoph/Schaedler Mathias/Sumi Christian, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • Skulptur für Fussgänger oder Der Weg zur Arbeit, Berger Ueli, expo 1986
    Skulptur für Fussgänger oder Der Weg zur Arbeit
  • bild3, Bruckner Kurt, expo 1986
    bild3
  • bild 3, Scheurer Jean, expo 1986
    bild 3
  • Installation im Schüss-Kanal, Signer Roman, expo 1986
    Installation im Schüss-Kanal
  • Figure VII, Wimpheimer Willy, expo 1986
    Figure VII
  • bild 1, Förderer Walter M., expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 2, Förderer Walter M., expo 1986
    bild 2
  • bild 4, Förderer Walter M., expo 1986
    bild 4
  • bild 3, Calatrava Santiago, expo 1986
    bild 3
  • Luftkubus, Spescha Matias, expo 1986
    Luftkubus
  • SOG, Pösinger Franz, expo 1986
    SOG
  • bild 1, Scheurer Jean, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • Le Patron, Lüchinger Roland, expo 1986
    Le Patron
  • bild 1, Distel Herbert, expo 1986
    bild 1
  • bild 2, Dubach Alois, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • bild 2, Scheurer Jean, expo 1986
    bild 2
  • Cuborama, Vieira Mara, expo 1986
    Cuborama