Roger Anker

A Word from the Board of the Foundation

The composition of the Board of the Foundation may well give a fairly serious and sober impression: the majority of its members are representatives of government agencies and business people. They may have an impressive amount of expertise in innovation and risk management but tend to be wary of venturing into experiments whose outcomes are difficult to assess and quantify. However, many of them have overcome their initial reservations and – it is to be noted with the highest appreciation – have given their full support to this enterprise, as we can see on the eve of the 8th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition.

The Board believe that their quest for a "master" ended happily when they found the Exhibition's new artistic director, Mr. Niklaus Morgenthaler. An architect with many years' experience abroad, the former director of the School of Design in Basel, and a member of various Federal Committees, Mr. Morgenthaler's career has equipped him perfectly to devise the concept and manage the practical aspects of this challenging Exhibition. The Board are certain that the Director has found an original concept that is well suited to current circumstances, and that its various elements have been brought to fruition in the most consistent manner.

We would like to emphasise that a new generation of artists, raised in the immediate post-War era, felt particularly attracted by the requirement to integrate their works of art in the urban context.

Some 600 artists requested details concerning their participation in the Exhibition. Initial projects arrived within the deadline from 265 artists – sadly, only a very low number came from the French-speaking area. In a two-tier process, the Jury, consisting of four members, invited a total of 40 artists to submit their specific projects. All the projects submitted – including those from the first tier – will be presented in a special gallery. Alongside the main events in the streets of Biel's inner city, they will provide a good impression of the great diversity of works that have reached Biel from all over the country.

Among the "serious" tasks of the Board is that of making available the necessary funds, usually by way of its Financial Committee. As for previous Exhibitions, public funding has again been granted generously. The event could not have been organised without the greatly appreciated support of the Swiss government, the canton of Berne and the municipality of Biel. Private-sector funding and donations from private individuals from virtually all parts of Switzerland – and some of them of the utmost generosity – are eloquent proof of their interest in our event. We are gratified to find that the degree of civic responsibility vis-à-vis the community and its cultural activities in particular remains high in the private sector and among many private individuals. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to each and every one of them, and to all the public agencies and authorities.

Now the artists have the floor. Very soon, they will engage in a lively dialogue with the general public and visitors from near and far. We all very much look forward to it.

Roger Anker President of the Board of the Foundation

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