19. SkulpturenSCHAU! Weikersheim

The 19th SkulpturenSCHAU! in Weikersheim presents fourteen of Rainer’s mostly life-size figurative sculptures throughout the historic centre of the town. The works can be encountered beneath the arcades, on the market square and in the kitchen garden of Weikersheim Castle.

Rather than being confined to a traditional gallery setting, the sculptures become part of the town and its historical surroundings, unexpectedly meeting visitors in public spaces and inviting them into a quiet, personal dialogue.

Weikersheim has hosted an annual solo sculpture exhibition since 2008, and Kurka is being presented as an exhibiting artist there for the second time.

Berlin-based sculptor Rainer Kurka creates life-size figurative sculptures that appear remarkably lifelike, yet are entirely born from his imagination rather than depicting real people. His artistic journey began at the age of 15 with a sandstone sculpture course, where he became fascinated by transforming “dead” matter into seemingly living beings. Working primarily in clay and using the hollow-building technique, Rainer creates finely detailed terracotta and bronze figures, each with an individual character and presence. His aim is not simply to reproduce the human form, but to give each figure the sense of being a unique, soulful personality. This approach reflects a renewed contemporary interest in the human figure, exploring themes of identity, presence and inner experience.