20 Years of Sculpture Network: Vera Staub on Transformation, Collaboration, and Community

For more than three decades, Swiss artist Vera Staub has been creating works that blur the boundaries between sculpture, installation, performance, and drawing. Her artwork is in a constant conversation between material, place and viewer. Remnants of earlier works often become the starting point for new ones and audiences are frequently invited to engage with or even rearrange the work themselves. Staub continually explores how art can open spaces of dialogue, memory, and play.

Vera Staub (born 1957 in St. Gallen, Switzerland) is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Göschenen, Switzerland. Staub’s creations are heavily informed by her artistic process as well as their relationship to the viewer. As part of Sculpture Networks 20th anniversary we’re spotlighting her impressive career to date and how our organization has shaped her career so far.  
Staub is a self-taught artist that came to art making, particularly sculpture later in life. She reflects: “In my mid-20s, I began to paint, first using the brushes and colors that belonged to my roommate. I initially produced abstract expressionist paintings and became interested in sculpting upon visiting a live modelling course in New York. Upon returning to Switzerland, I continued to work with stone, but over time also started to use materials such as textiles or resin in my installations.” 
Staub’s career has taken her across Europe and beyond — from residencies in Berlin, Leipzig, and Slovenia, to exhibitions in Romania, the USA, and Switzerland. Central to her development, however, has been not only her individual practice but also the communities of exchange she has cultivated along the way.

Joining Sculpture Network

Staub first joined Sculpture Network more than ten years ago and has been an active member ever since.

“I joined Sculpture Network over ten years ago and have benefited from it in many different ways. Most importantly, though, my artistic development has been influenced by the connections that Sculpture Network has made possible. The exchange with other artists is particularly fruitful for me as a self-taught artist”, said Staub. 

For Vera, these connections have led to long-term collaborations and enduring friendships. In 2017, she attended a Wool Symposium in Spain published on Sculpture Network, where she met German artist Christiane Lehmann. Their relationship has grown into a sustained artistic dialogue. Vera has exhibited alongside Lehmann in Germany (pictured below), while also inviting her to contribute to exhibitions in Switzerland, including ‘Transition’ running from 30 August until 21 September at the Alte Kirche Göschenen.
Her membership has thus been not only a catalyst for artistic development but also a platform for building community across Europe. Sculpture Network’s expansive reach across Europe allows artists to live and work in varied and often remote locations while still being part of an interconnected network. 

Encounters and Inspiration

Most recently, Staub took part in Sculpture Network’s excursion to Spain, visiting ARCOmadrid, Helga de Alvear Contemporary Art Museum and the Museo Vostell Malpartida in Extremadura. She recalls being struck by a growing trend of the relocation of major art spaces to the peripheries of cities or even rural areas. “This decentralized approach to art resembles the structure of Sculpture Network, which allows us members to work and live in different and sometimes remote places, and still be part of a community.” A highlight was the visit to the Museo Vostell Malpartida in Extremadura, “It was firmly rooted in, and supported by, the local community. We had the privilege of a private tour through the museum, which left a lasting impression on me.”

An Ongoing Journey

For Vera Staub, art has always been about intuitive discovery and exploring the different facets of the world. Through Sculpture Network, she has found a framework that amplifies this exploration — providing inspiration, opportunities, and above all, connections with other artists who share her commitment to process, transformation, and exchange.