Mann im Hirschgeweih / Man in Antlers

Skulpturale Erscheinungen is an art trail in Ratingen that begins in Angertal with the work Mann in Antlers. The Angertal is a highly artificially designed and renatured landscape where the original range of flora and fauna can flourish. The three artworks in Angertal make reference to this situation and the way that nature is taking control once again, as represented here by the stag.
In this context, Man in Antlers can be understood as a leitmotif, which is emotionally elevated by its location on the upper ridge of a meadow. The background is the ever-changing sky, which creates an infinite blue backdrop on nice days. Like all of Stephan Balkenhol’s sculptures, Man in Antlers can be interpreted in an infinite loop of associations (e.g., as a relationship between subject matter, animal, human). Through the sculpture, the once neutral location now oscillates between poetry and irony.