Werdeformen

“Werdeformen,” is a solo exhibition by Wolfgang Nestler (b. 1943). As an artist who participated in the 1993 exhibition “Volle Scheunen” in East Belgium, he has been associated with IKOB since its beginnings. At over 80 years old, Nestler looks back on a body of work that has closely accompanied and significantly shaped the development of sculpture in Germany since the late 1960s. His artistic approach, which combines material, space, and movement in a unique way, represents a significant contribution to the expansion of the concept of art. His engagement with the social upheavals and personal experiences of the past decades is reflected in his art, which he brings to life using simple materials such as wood, steel, sheet metal, and stone.

The most important element of his art is the mental engagement of the visitors, who are invited to closely examine the sculptures and feel their inner dynamics, tensions, and states. Nestler’s sculptures lead an intense life of their own and always refer to their material tangibility.

The exhibition centers on a selection of key sculptures and installations from various periods of Nestler’s career. They are forms in the process of becoming, in the literal sense. This is also the origin of the exhibition’s title. They are never complete, never finished, always different. This artistic stance is in harmony with Nestler’s fundamental attitude toward the world in which he lives: he does not see the finished, the complete—neither in the people he encounters nor in the artworks that interest him. His focus lies on the processes and potentials that must be discovered and made visible in everything and everyone.

A special highlight of this exhibition is the inclusion of Eynatten Water Castle as a second space for experience and engagement alongside the IKOB Museum. There, for the first time in several decades, a series of outdoor works will be made accessible to the public. In dialogue with historical architecture and the outdoor space, the works develop an impact that would not be possible in a museum setting. The second location will open in March 2026 and be open by appointment, exact dates to be communicated.

Biography:

Wolfgang Nestler was born in 1943 in Gershausen near Kirchheim/Hesse, Germany.

From 1967 to 1973, he studied at the State Art Academy in Düsseldorf under Prof. Erwin Heerich.

In 1974, he received a scholarship from the city of Aachen. Between 1987 and 1989, he was a professor at the University of Siegen. Later, between 1989 and 2007, he held the professorship for sculpture at the Saar College of Fine Arts in Saarbrücken. 

Important exhibitions were held in 1974 at the Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld. In 1976 and 1978, he exhibited at the famous Galerie Schmela in Düsseldorf. In 1977, he participated in documenta 6 and in 1987 in documenta 8 in Kassel.

A list of recommended readings was specially compiled for this exhibition by Wolfgang Nestler.