Merlak and Enfim

Robert Schad’s sculptural choreographies are created using massive square steel bars. However, his trademark lines are not the product of bending or distorting the steel, but instead are formed by welding together straight elements with different lengths. After the welds have been smoothed, these joints take on an organic appearance. In contrast to the heaviness of the material, the sculptures seem more like linear sketches of movement and are always oriented on human proportions. The steel particularly loses its hardness and coldness here, where it is placed in dialogue with nature. He records the flowing, dance-like movements of the air and wind and depicts them as a sort of static snapshot. The sculptures are not designed to be viewed from a particular vantage point. When moving around them, the changing perspectives create an awareness of one’s own movements and the passage of time.