Kirschensäule / Cherry Column

Similar monuments have been erected to rulers, inventors, poets, and thinkers — as well as the classic Kiepenkerl in Münster. However, this sculpture honors a pair of bright red cherries on top of an unusually disproportionate-looking sandstone pillar.
Thomas Schütte’s contribution to the 1987 Skulptur Projekte engages with the traditional concept of monuments and where they are located. The column is made of Baumberger sandstone, which has shaped Münster’s architectural tradition, as well as its historic reconstruction.
The work is situated in a central square, as is typical for a monument; however, as a parking lot and space for dumpsters, it’s a relatively unstructured location, much like a back courtyard on one of the highly polished shopping streets.
In place of a venerable figure from history, the two cherries evoke associations with pop art. They are oversized, plump, round, and decorative. Cherry Column considers the topic of public art superficially in several respects, but also breaks it down ironically and offers a tongue in cheek commentary.

Further reading: Skulptur-Projekte 1987 in Münster, eds. Klaus Bußmann and Kasper König, Cologne 1987, pp. 237–240.
Additional information: www.skulptur-projekte.de
www.muenster.de/stadt/skulpturen/kirschen.html