As a living platform for the presentation of three-dimensional art, the Blickachsen Sculpture Biennale makes works of the most varied artistic positions freely available to all, both in a dialogue with each other and with their surroundings. To ensure ever new perspectives and artistic impulses, Christian K. Scheffel, founder and curator of the Biennale and director of the Blickachsen Foundation, organizes each new exhibition together with a different international partner institution. Scheffel is delighted to announce that the Swedish Wanås Konst sculpture park has accepted his invitation to co-present this year’s Blickachsen 12 exhibition. He describes Elisabeth Millqvist and Mattias Givell, who have been directors of this renowned institution since 2011, as ideal partners for the exhibition: “Wanås Konst shares our focus on the interplay in a historical location, between contemporary art and the natural surroundings – with the aim of offering a multiplicity of potential experiences to an interested general public”.
“It is with pleasure that Wanås Konst takes on the role of being the partner museum for the twelfth Blickachsen”, says Elisabeth Millqvist, also on behalf of Mattias Givell, and adds: “We look forward, with Blickachsen 12 and together with Christian Scheffel, to opening new perspectives on sculpture and its vital contribution to society, by inviting artists from different continents and at the same time sharing our special knowledge of the Nordic art scene and specifically our program at Wanås Konst”.
For Blickachsen 12, Givell and Millqvist have invited some artists that are familiar from Wanås Konst in Sweden. Yoko Ono will be bringing her celebrated Wish Trees to Bad Homburg. In this project, which the artist has developed since 1996, visitors are invited to write their wishes on slips of paper and hang them on trees specifically chosen for the exhibition. Gradually, the notes cover the foliage like white blossoms. After the exhibition is over, the artist will archive these wishes in the Imagine Peace Tower, together with wishes from all over the world. Only by looking upwards can one appreciate the astonishing work of the Swedish artist Anne Thulin: giant red balls seem to have bounced up into the treetops in which they sit, shifting our focus onto the green canopy of leaves as a vital part of the park. The American artist William Forsythe, who is known around the world for his “choreographic objects”, is creating two location-specific works for this year’s exhibition.
Characteristic from their work at Wanås Konst in Sweden, Givell and Millqvist take with them a broad perspective on sculpture, collaboration with artists all over the world and a special knowledge of the Nordic art scene. Although the Blickachsen exhibition focuses on existing works, a more site-specific approach will permeate the biennale in 2019. More information and full artist list will be available in spring 2019. www.blickaschsen.com