La Grande Ruota

The Great Wheel was located in the sculpture park at Haus Weitmar before being relocated to the Stadtpark in 2006 and is connected to twelve other works by Giuseppe Spagnulo in Bochum. The heavy steel used establishes a special relationship with the city and the Ruhrgebiet. The history of the steel industry is reflected in the sculpture, which represents energy, strength, and resistance.
The artist uses his ferri spezzati / broken iron series of works to support forms of resistance that oppose a uniform, homogeneous society. The great wheel is made out of a roughly 80 cm thick, massive circular steel disc with a 330cm diameter. A square was cut from the center and pushed out towards the bottom, so that supports the circular form and stands at an angle.
The surface of the sculpture is reminiscent of clay or wood. The extremely heavy material gives it a substantial physical presence, which seems to contradict the deep cuts, the breakdown of the form, and the fragility of the construction. In addition to its formal ambivalence, the sculpture can also been understood as a symbol for breaking down national and social norms.
Further reading:
Public Art Ruhr. Die Metropole Ruhr und die Kunst im öffentlichen Raum. Eds. Walter Smerling and Ferdinand Ulrich on behalf of the RuhrKunstMuseen, Cologne 2012, ISBN 978-3-8632-134-0, pp. 144-145