Frankfurt: Works of art in the Palmengarten are looking for sponsors
-
fromUte cousin
shut down
Wind and weather add to the sculptures and figures – for the 150th anniversary, a nice relief campaign was launched
Frankfurt – The two “reading children” do not let themselves be disturbed – although they are swinging slightly on the rope of an excavator. What’s going on in the palm garden again? Don’t worry – the “Reading Children” are a cast bronze sculpture about one meter high, probably created by Max Kratz (Essen) in the 1950s. They have been standing at the children’s playground in the palm garden since 1987. “And it was in a pretty desperate condition,” explains the restorer Holger Weinelt and cleans three steel pins in a boulder so that the excavator driver can anchor the sculpture on it. Several welds were torn and at some point incorrectly grouted with unsuitable material. In addition, wind and weather had badly affected the sculpture over the years.
Weinelt, who obviously enjoys his job, is from the art foundry “Kunstguss Eschenburg” and has already restored many bronze figures, panels and sculptures in Frankfurt and other German cities – even the bust of the legendary Palmengarten founder, Franz Heinrich Siesmayer, is beaming thanks to his treatment like new again in the big anniversary exhibition in the Palmengarten-Galerie.
He worked on the “Reading Children” together with his colleagues, the chaser and the art caster Michael Becker. Among other things, THEY have gently sandblasted, milled, patinated the figure, cooked a sulfur liver from various essences and applied the heated essence to the surface. “Depending on the essence, that gives completely different colors,” says Weinelt. With brushes, she creates different shades. Finally, the work of art was then made with a wax mixture. This preservation prevents the formation of new stains. The best part: “Bronze can be patinated again and again,” reveals the restorer.
Helaba got involved
Silke Steffes from the communications department of Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba) stands next to Weinelt and is also in a good mood. No wonder, as Helaba is one of the first new sponsors of the restoration campaign for the palm garden on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its art objects. The bank spent almost 4,000 euros on the processing of the “reading children”, who are no longer desolately overgrown by bushes at the playground, but rather a seating area near the palm house awaits the visitors’ favor. Steffes says: “Helaba has always been very happy to support art and culture. And this work of art fits in wonderfully with our other commitment to education and children.”
In the meantime, Kirsten Grote-Bär is stroking the sculpture “Reading Children”, which is once again gleaming slightly gold in places. The curator of the anniversary exhibition is the head of the “Fundraising and Projects” department in the Palmengarten, studied art and history and says: “There are two boys, by the way.” And the restorer laughs and says: “Yes, the children will surely find out quickly and will surely climb around on it too. The figure invites you to do so, but that’s okay now”.
Grote-Bär has the big sponsorship campaign for works of art for the 150th anniversary of the green oasis with the title “Become a godparent and win”. And he likes to emphasize again and again: That the area was not just a “plant museum”, but from the beginning also an exhibition space for works of art that were given, borrowed, bought for him or even specially made on site. “But while the plants are always renewing themselves, works of art do not have these powers,” she says. They attach moss or verdigris, parts begin to wobble or break off, because cracks and crevices can cause water to freeze repeatedly, which can lead to flaking. Grote-Bär is particularly fascinated by the different beauty of the works of art: “Panther, gorilla and Co. are not only in the zoo, but also here with us as expressive animal sculptures”. Those who are more interested in people or mythology can also enjoy sponsorship: “Goethe’s mother, Frau Aja, also known as a ‘storyteller’, an ‘African woman’, a ‘dancer’, a ‘Flora’ or a ‘Pan’ ‘- they look forward to a repair or a refresh! “. Ute cousin
There is information here
More information and contact by email to [email protected]. All works in need of restoration and their costs are presented online at www.palmengarten.de.