Max Bill @museum.de

Please come in! Or rather, step through.

The artist Max Bill erected this sculpture in 1984, close to the Neuwerk Church and opposite the old town wall. It’s called Tor in Goslar, Gate in Goslar. Two years earlier, Max Bill had been awarded the city of Goslar’s Kaiserring for his work as an artist.

Bill was a Swiss artist, architect and designer. In his art, he addressed issues of measure and proportion, and his work was based on mathematical variations.

The Goslar gate consists of 5 granite blocks. Like building blocks, three squared stones form the gate, while the other two lie on the ground at right angles. This simple arrangement is reminiscent of ancient temple architecture. The smooth granite enhances the clear composition.

The message of the sculpture is inherent in the architecture itself. The gate stands in a direct line of sight to one of the gateways in the old city wall. The sculpture creates a transitional space and channels both movement and gaze. And – it invites you to linger. The two granite blocks on the ground provide a place where people can rest and meet within a public space.