In dialogue with the architecture: the works of sculptor Ansgar Nierhoff.

Modern art tour

Be inspired by the special art that’s spread across the old industrial grounds.

Contemporary photography exhibitions are regularly presented in the former Round Thickener I in the Coal Washery. – © Jochen Tack / Zollverein Foundation

The Castell - an approximately two-metre high and 10 x 10-metre wide stone block by sculptor Ulrich Rückriem (*1938) stands on the clearing at the foot of the birch-covered spoil tip. – © Sven Lorenz / Zollverein Foundation

Finest printed graphics: Thomas Mack presents his art to visitors in his studio in the former Picking Belt Hall. – © Thomas Willemsen / Zollverein Foundation

Contemporary photography exhibitions are regularly presented in the former Round Thickener I in the Coal Washery. – © Jochen Tack / Zollverein Foundation

Zollverein is not just about heritage. In fact, it has emerged in recent years as a leading site for contemporary art. While walking through the grounds, you will come across sculptures and installations by artists for whom the World Heritage site is a diverse source of inspiration.

Some artworks cannot be overlooked because of their massive appearance, such as Ulrich Rückriem’s granite sculptures. Others are discovered by chance, for example Alf Lechner’s ‘Constellation D4’, the sculptures of the steel sculptor Ansgar Nierhoff, or the ‘Palace of Projects’ by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov in the former Salt Store of the Zollverein Coking Plant.

The birch-covered spoil tip between Zollverein Shaft XII and the Coking Plant provides the backdrop for the stone sculptures by sculptor Ulrich Rückriem. – © Sven Lorenz / Zollverein Foundation

The varied artistic works, which increasingly characterise Zollverein as an art venue, have one thing in common: they engage in an aesthetic dialogue with the site and the architecture of the decommissioned coal mine and coking plant. The works, for example, take as their theme the effect of spaces or deal with the transformation of the site from a heavy industry location to a centre for art, culture, history, and creative industries.

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