Thomas Hirschhorn: Robert Walser - Sculpture

For three months Biel, Switzerland, hosted a special kind of sculpture. It was special not simply because it was by one of Switzerlandª¡s most famous contemporary artistsª¢Thomas Hirschhornª¢and dedicated to one of the most prominent authors in the history of Swiss literature, Robert Walser. Beyond that, this sculpture was a redefinition of sculpture itself, because what takes on a plastic form here is not made of stone, steel, or bronze. It is society itself that helped to develop this work of art. In 2016 Thomas Hirschhorn and the curator Kathleen Bû§hler began doing field research in Biel, the city of Robert Walserª¡s birth, connecting with residents, clubs, artists, literati, and experts. This resulted in a multifaceted agenda. Every day the two offered events such as readings, walking tours, lectures, and childrenª¡s activities. All of this ultimately comprised the Robert Walser-Sculpture. Never before has an entire city been integrated into a temporary work of art in this way.