Dear Members,
As we step into the New Year, Sculpture Network extends warm wishes for a year filled with inspiration and creativity.
Sculpture Network, the foremost network for 3D art in Europe, continues to thrive, bringing together artists, art professionals, collectors, and enthusiasts both in-person and online to exchange ideas and foster connections.
Reflecting on the past year, we've had the pleasure of hosting numerous enriching events with a remarkable turnout. Building on this momentum, we are committed to forging ahead on this path of growth and innovation.
An exciting development for 2024 is the introduction of the Emerging Sculptor Prize, aimed at nurturing young talents aged 25 to 40. The selection process, overseen by an independent jury comprising members of the Curatorial Board Hartmut Stielow (artist and founder of Sculpture Network) and Laure Debouttiere (art historian and cultural manager) together with Philipp Morlock (artist and curator), will culminate in the announcement of finalists in our upcoming newsletter on February 8th.
Additionally, we're thrilled to announce a new partnership with Sculptura #2 Festival, an exceptional sculpture initiative based in Brussels, Belgium. This collaboration will showcase the works of esteemed artists Sigita Dackevičiūtė, Olaf Mooij, Jörg Plickat, and Willi Reiche at the historic Gare Maritime in Brussels from January 2024 to March 10th.
Looking back at 2023, our most significant endeavor was the relaunch of our website, which now attracts 6,000 visitors monthly. With the indispensable help of member Blake Ward, the content of Sculpture Network online portal has grown to thousands of artworks, over 600 artist profiles and numerous events and exhibitions by and with members. We have implemented a new payment system for membership fees, overcoming various challenges along the way to ensure its successful implementation. We acknowledge the obstacles encountered during this process and welcome your feedback to further enhance our platform.
Tip: As we begin the new year, we encourage you to update your profiles and share your upcoming exhibitions on Art agenda, setting the stage for a productive year ahead. (At the bottom of the site you’ll find a HELP button to fill in your profile and add an artwork).
In 2023, we welcomed 64 new members, including esteemed partners like the Henry Moore Foundation, reaffirming our organization's growing influence and relevance in the art community.
Furthermore, we successfully reinstated our flagship event, the International Forum “Sculpture and Climate Emergency”, held in Málaga, Spain, marking a significant milestone in our endeavors.
An increasing multitude engaged in 9 Online Clubs. We extend our gratitude to our 10 coordinators for organizing 18 Dialogues across 5 countries and 17 cities in Europe. Collectively, these efforts culminated in a remarkable total of 28 events, attracting 715 participants. Moreover, our social media presence saw significant growth, with 600 new followers on Instagram, bringing our total followers to 11.8K. Across platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, our combined fan base now stands at 38K.
We extend our gratitude to the Waldemar Bonsels Stiftung, the Tantau Stiftung, and private donors for their generous support, which enables us to advance our mission.
As we embark on this new chapter, we bid farewell to departing financial Board Member Christian Friederichs and extend a warm welcome to his successor, Karl Gadesmann.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our office employees, Ilaria Specos and Julia Weiss, on the joyful occasion of welcoming their newborn babies. We also express our gratitude to Isabel Bernheimer (until November) for her work for the office. A special mention is deserved by office manager Zeynep Ece Sahin (until February) who did an excellent job for the Malaga Forum. The office is now run by our Berlin coordinator Anemone Vostell until Ilaria Specos and Julia Weiss come back towards the middle of the year. Should you encounter any communication gaps during this time, we sincerely apologize and encourage you to reach out again. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
We express our gratitude to Elisabeth Pilhofer for editing 19 articles for the Newsletter, to Iris Haist for her contributions in selecting Art Agenda, and to Richarda Menger and active member Kris Demuelenaere for their valuable assistance with ICT and financing matters.
While we make Sculpture Network solid again, the network can only really flourish with your help!
If you're interested in volunteering or have suggestions, ideas for the Online Club, or wish to make a donation, please reach out to us at info@sculpture-network.org. We welcome your contributions and feedback.
We eagerly anticipate your continued engagement and participation, both online and in-person, as we embark on another exciting year together.
Warm regards,
The Executive Board of Sculpture Network
Frank Evelein, Anne Berk, Yke Prins, Christian Friederichs, Karl Gadesmann
The Curatorial Board of Sculpture Network
Hartmut Stielow (Founder), Laure Debouttiere
Assistant to the Board: Blake Ward
Office: Anemone Vostell, Zeynep Ece Sahin
Contact: info@sculpture-network.org
Image: artwork Caroline Kampfraath, model Emma Evelein, photo credit Edward Hermans.
