Claus Bury. Maßstabssprünge

Claus Bury became known with his large architectural sculptures in landscapes and urban spaces. The exhibition in Nuremberg will be the first to show all the facets of his artistic work.
In terms of the program, the exhibition is planned as an interdisciplinary project by Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich – and Neues Museum – Staatliches Museum für Kunst und Design in Nuremberg. It is being organized in close cooperation with the artist.

Claus Bury, who trained as a goldsmith, initially created items of jewelry characterized by unusual materials such as colorful acrylic glass and metal alloys that very early on made him one of the protagonists of the international art jewelry scene that was just emerging at the time. His interest in structural systems was already evident in these early works as well as in his later metal reliefs. Since the late 1970s, the artist has been creating architectural sculptures which always make reference to the particular context in which they stand and which are often accessible. These architectural sculptures integrate into their environment naturally and at the same time characterize and mark it. Claus Bury’s “Bitterfelder Bogen” (Bitterfeld arch), which with its spectacular dimensions (length: 80 m, height: 30 m) is considered to be Germany’s largest outdoor sculpture, is a famous example. The exhibition title “Maßstabssprünge” (Leaps in scale) makes reference to this development from small items of jewelry to large architectural sculptures.
The exhibition in Nuremberg will for the first time present a comprehensive range of early jewelry items and jewelry designs by the artist from the 1960s onwards as well as his photograph series of “found architecture” by farmers – haystacks –, a work in progress. Furthermore, Claus Bury will present architectural models and the space-consuming, accessible sculpture “Gewächshaus für Gedanken” (Greenhouse for thoughts), through which visitors can assume different positions and perspectives.
For the square in front of Neues Museum, Claus Bury designed a major outdoor work, which is also accessible, entitled “Raststätte Nürnberg” (Nuremberg service area). For Bury, “Raststätte Nürnberg” will be an important continuation of his work as an artist. For Neues Museum, not only will this work complete the exhibition “Claus Bury. Maßstabssprünge” in a special way, but it will also take into account its recent conceptual decision to use Klarissenplatz as an extended exhibition space and thus further root it in the public consciousness.