2025

auf Anfrage zugänglich

Klenze-Gymnasium, Wackersberger Straße 59, 81371 München

Aluminium Vollguss, pulverbeschichtet,
Skulptur Orange: 180 × 150 × 445 cm
Skulptur Violet: 180 × 170 × 460 cm

Architecture: KRUG GROSSMANN ARCHITEKTEN, München

Landscape architecture: EGL Landschaftsarchitekten, Landshut

Photos: Michael Heinrich

Text: Anna Wondrak

“Twins” is a two-part art project by Munich artist Alix Stadtbäumer. The work was commissioned by the City of Munich as part of the expansion of the Klenze Gymnasium as a contribution to art in architecture. Both aluminium sculptures—one executed in bright orange, the other in bold violet—are 4.60 meters tall and add striking, colorful accents to the school’s outdoor space. They mark two central locations: the entrance area of the schoolyard, which is shared by the Klenze and Dante-Gymnasium, and the open space in front of the gymnasium. From a certain location on the school grounds, both sculptures can be seen at once, thus entering into a dialogue with each other, just like the two schools they connect.

Although the Klenze-Gymnasium has an emphasis on science and technology, it also has an extensive arts program. Addressing this combination of different disciplines in terms of form and content was both an inspiration and a challenge for Stadtbäumer, prompting the artist to consider how science could be combined with art, logic with play, and structure with lightness. The starting point for her idea was the mathematical knot theory, which also finds its way into daily cable clutter, for example, when headphone cables or garden hoses become seemingly inextricably tangled.

During her research, Stadtbäumer came across the puzzle of the so called “Conway knot,” which revolves around the question of whether it encloses a disc in four-dimensional space. The problem remained unsolved for decades until, in 2018, the young mathematician Lisa Piccirillo surprisingly found a way to solve the puzzle. The Conway knot is a seemingly complicated, intertwined knot, and it was long unclear whether it could be untangled without cutting it. Piccirillo was finally able to prove mathematically that this is not possible and that the knot therefore remains a “real” knot. Her success, which was based on an unusual approach and a little trick, became a symbol for Stadtbäumer, as it illustrated that young people in particular can overcome even complex problems using curiosity, courage, and creativity.

The artist first built the sculptures on a 1:1 scale using flexible plastic pipes. She coated the pipes with plaster, sanded them, stabilized them, and sanded them again. Over the course of several weeks, a precise 1:1 model was created by hand. The Anton Gugg foundry then took over the implementation using the sand casting process. Each sculpture was realized individually in several parts using solid casting, then welded together, sanded again, tested, and finally approved by TÜV.

The two dynamic loop sculptures are more than just shapes; they resemble abstract three-dimensional drawings in space. Their lines spiral upward, precisely and playfully concurrently, twisting and opening up. As symbols of movement, connection, and individual perspectives, they invite viewers to observe them from different angles, to relate to them, and perhaps even to develop their own associations—be this dancing figures, musical lines, or intricate thoughts. The sculptures exemplify what school is all about today: the dialogue between logic and creativity, between structure and development. They encourage viewers to take a closer look, think in new ways, and discover the connections in what resembles confusion. This is entirely in keeping with Lisa Piccirillo’s insight – and that of the young people who learn here every day.