Opening reception: Tuesday, 20 May, 7 p.m.

Franklin Pühn (1925 in Erfurt – 2020 in Heidenheim an der Brenz) played a key role in shaping the cultural life of the town of Heidenheim. Whether as a long-standing board member of the Kunstverein, as a member of the artists’ group 5/54, as a lecturer at the adult education center or as a mediator, the committed sculptor was always committed to the interests of contemporary art in the region.

Following the two exhibitions to mark his 90th and 95th birthdays, in which the medium of paper played a central role, this year’s show aims to return to his artistic beginnings and thus to works made of iron, aluminum and bronze. Of particular interest here are the early works, which are still clearly influenced by his time at the Stuttgart Academy, as well as the organic plant works from the 1970s.
After all, the latter already combine numerous themes that would occupy Pühn throughout his artistic career: Dynamism and tranquillity, growth and decay, expressivity and harmony.

In addition to the selected and presented metal works, the exhibition also dares to look outside. With his large-format works in public spaces, Franklin Pühn has left his mark on the image of the city and the region. Photographs from the period in which the works were created are juxtaposed with current images, inviting visitors to view and rediscover the surviving works.