As part of the City of Nuremberg’s special housing programme, the Am Röthenbacher Landgraben/Colmberger Straße plot was transferred by the City of Nuremberg to the wbg Group for the purpose of building rental flats. When the property was transferred, the goal had already been defined. In addition to housing construction and a mobility offer following the wbg concept of bewegt.wohnen (“mobile living”), the aim was to create a special quality of open space with the inclusion of “Kunst am Bau” (art in construction) within the framework of an exemplary district development.
In consultation with the City of Nuremberg’s Advisory Council for Visual Arts and the Professional Association of Visual Artists Nuremberg Middle Franconia (Berufsverband Bildender Künstler Nürnberg Mittelfranken e. V.), an invitational competition was held, from which the Fürth-based artist Tobias Rempp emerged as the winner. His work was created under the heading: “Stadt, Land, Fluss” (“City, Country, River”), given that three playgrounds with these themes have been built on the site.
Tobias Rempp installed various objects made of visibly layered concrete in the outdoor area along the main axis of use. Each object symbolises a particular theme. A high stele, a stele and slab, three slabs, a low table and another “altar table” alternate in the outdoor areas.
“Art and artists belong to a modern urban society. Wherever both of these are at home, people feel at ease. I’m very pleased that our wbg has continued its tradition of installing art in public spaces here in this new housing district. For over 100 years, art and artists have had a cooperative relationship with business that has again borne fruit here. I hope that the people will accept and appreciate the works of Tobias Rempp,” explains the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of wbg Nürnberg, Lord Mayor Marcus König, on the occasion of the unveiling of the artworks.
“Complementary to urban development and architecture, the implementation of art on building sites reflects our standard for our housing complexes. After all: We create living spaces. I’d like to thank the City of Nuremberg’s Advisory Board for Visual Arts and the Professional Association of Visual Artists Nuremberg Middle Franconia for their successful cooperation. The fact that Tobias Rempp, an artist from the neighbouring city of Fürth, has been awarded the contract enriches the portfolio of our works,” explains wbg Managing Director Ralf Schekira during the small ceremony.
A small brochure has been prepared about the work and the artist, which can be viewed online at https://wbg.nuernberg.de/en/the-company/media-library/books. Available at wbg Nürnberg.
