Olaf Metzel (born 1952 in Berlin) seeks as a sculptor to represent society by creating three-dimensional images. The underlying theme of his work revolves around his wish to reflect the time in which we live, to create visibility for topical issues and in so doing encourage debate on pressing socio-cultural matters. In his art, Metzel, who enjoys international acclaim, not only resorts to media images or quotations taken from the realm of current affairs, but also delves into art history’s reference system. His works are powerful, resolutely radical, charged with energy – they entail moments both of destruction and of pure aesthetic.

Today, ten years on, Neues Museum in Nuremburg is hosting a solo exhibition of his oeuvre, giving him the opportunity to stage a more differentiated presentation of his work that will enable an informed discussion of his oeuvre. dermassen regiert zu werden (2015) is the title of a recent piece that presents the sculptor’s multifaceted output alongside other large installations. Together, they give a panorama on society that is peppered with specific moments in time, thus capturing aesthetically the era in which we live and present discourses.