Sisyphos by Matthias Kunisch
From November 30, 2023, the monumental sculpture "Sisyphos: Large academic study of Mr. Sisyphos based on 43 fragments in relative relation to the universe" by the Esslingen artist Matthias Kunisch can be seen in the plaster cast collection of the Museum of the University of Tübingen (MUT) at Hohentübingen Castle. The 'secret' presentation between the casts of the collection of ancient sculptures in the Knights' Hall of the MUT is intended to increase the desired mimicry effect and at the same time stimulate visitors' engagement with the collection's holdings and contemporary work. The production is accompanied by a booklet. Texts from various participants and experts are intended to provide readers with a variety of perspectives on the work presented and the Sisyphus Project. The booklet is written bilingually in English and German and is available at the museum box office as well as through the Galerie Gaia Schlegel or the artist himself.
The sculpture and its presentation in Tübingen are part of a large-scale project that includes, among other things, the digital staging and fragmentation of the sculptural work and the large-format drawing cycle "Medea" in a virtual exhibition space. The virtual exhibition space is accessible via the artist's website and was implemented by the Stuttgart agency Solid White in close collaboration with the project team between October 2022 - November 2023. As part of the project, both monumental works were extensively digitized and 3D scanned in order to complete the overall artistic concept of the works and to be located at a total of four accompanying knowledge hotspots in the artist's overall oeuvre. The sculpture “Sisyphos” can only be shown in its digital form in the VR showroom in its designed monumental size (approx. 12m high, 30m long). Only the 3D scan made it possible to divide the work into 43 fragments, which can be individually selected in the VR showroom and explored virtually. The Medea frieze, which consists of eight sheets and can be flexibly arranged on rolling frames, can only be viewed in its linear structure in the virtual exhibition space. Only here can each of the 64 fragments be viewed separately from the context of the work.
The fragments of the two works created in digital space can be purchased both as digital works of art (NFTs) and as materialized objects. In addition, large parts of the artist's oeuvre have been digitized to be presented on the artist's newly created website.
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