Outdoor sculpture by Richard Deacon | Celebration of the Galerieverein’s 100th anniversary

Richard Deacon, who was born in Bangor, Wales, in 1949, has become known for the continuity of his experimentation with forms and materials. Part of the tradition of modern English sculpture (Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Anthony Caro), Deacon is nevertheless not an epigone, but an innovator. In the 1980s, his large-scale sculptures of wood, metal, and other, occasionally quite unusual materials became his trademark. His works have been exhibited in Germany, England, Finland, France, Spain, and the United States, among other countries. In 2014, the Tate in London will be putting on a Deacon retrospective, while an exhibition of his latest works is planned at Kunstmuseum Winterthur the following year. In particular, Deacon has created numerous outdoor sculptures, including in England, Holland, Japan, Spain, Canada, and the United States, as well as in such smaller cities as Krefeld, Liestal, and Waiblingen.

For Winterthur, Deacon has made the steel sculpture “Footfall.” The monumental work measures 410 x 390 x 295 cm and will be displayed on the asphalt path between the old museum building and the museum extension; those walking past will be immediately confronted by it. The zigzag silhouette opens toward Lindstrasse. The sculpture’s offers a series of new impressions to those who walk around it, especially because of the variability of the light falling on the polished steel surfaces.

The Galerieverein, Friends of the Winterthur Art Museum, was founded in 1913 for the purpose of acquiring works for the museum. In the 100 years of its existence, it has bought 72 paintings, 33 sculptures, over 100 drawings, and a large number of graphic prints for the collection, including works by such important artists as Max Beckmann, James Bishop, Pierre Bonnard, Vija Celmins, Lovis Corinth, Isa Genzken, Ferdinand Hodler, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Claude Monet, Giorgio Morandi, David Rabinowitch, Odilon Redon, Gerhard Richter, Medardo Rosso, Myron Stout, Richard Tuttle, Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, and Edouard Vuillard. These works are among the highlights of the collection of the Kunstmuseum Winterthur. Today, the Galerieverein has 284 members.

The Kunstverein Winterthur was founded in 1848. As the primary funding body of the Kunstmuseum Winterthur, it is responsible for the museum’s collections and exhibitions. At present, the Kunstverein has 1864 members.