Großer Geist / Great Spirit

The “Großer Geist” depicted by the Austrian sculptor here has its origins in antiquity. At least it is a broken ancient marble column from which Alfred Hrdlicka carved this work. This means that the figure had to stay within the contours of the given material, seeming to grow out of the lower, intact half of the column with raised arms. In most of the politically active artist’s works the figures seem to be caught in a tough battle to free themselves physically from constricted situations. The “Großer Geist” pulls off this liberation without effort. “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” Victor Hugo said. Whatever kind of great spirit this may be, the sculpture depicts a form of introverted, purposeless and yet unstoppable growth that can only be spiritual.