Arp Collection 2019 »Nature is a petrified magic city«

Following the presentation of Arp's reliefs and works on paper, in 2019 the focus will be on the creative process of his biomorphic sculptures. Exciting insights into artisanal methods have been passed down to us first of all through his own retrospective depictions and through descriptions of his artist friends.

In particular, the studio as a place of artistic creation will be illuminated. Plaster models, tools and casting moulds bring to life the process of creation for the visitors. In addition to the actual works – made of bronze, wood, limestone, marble and cement – there are above all numerous photographs that provide access.

In addition to early documentations of his work with plaster sculptures in the garden of the studio house in Meudon, the impressive photo cycle by Ernst Scheidegger (1923 – 2016) offers the most comprehensive picture of his working places. He accompanied Arp during his work on the monumental outdoor sculpture »Wolkenhirte« (cloud shepherd) in the mid-1950s and also captures the atmosphere of the studio situation near Paris. Although the studio is the real place of his work, Arp's intellectual studio throughout his life remains the »great workshop of nature«, and he preserved the romantic view of a dreamer. Many of his sculptures seem to refer to a mysterious world and in this way Arp knows how to fascinate with the element of the magical in his sculptures.