Grosse Geister by Thomas Schütte

1996

Thomas Schütte

Facts

Material

Polished aluminium

Size

257 x 114 x 122 cm

Description

It is hard to find an equivalent of Grosse Geister in English. "Great Ghosts" does not do justice to the rich connotations of the original. "Geist" can mean zeitgeist, the Holy Spirit, a powerful mind, clergyman or ghost, and is used to describe the science of thinking itself. Despite the seeming incompatibility, all refer to something higher and difficult to grasp, something that cannot be fully explained or is not fully logical.

These sculptures in their larger-than-life poses come across as pathetic and ridiculous – a cross between Ghostbusters, the Michelin Man, Michael Jackson moon walking, Terminator 2 and a burger bar customer. Grosse Geister distorts our image of ourselves and our surroundings, unsettling our mental states and social situations and making the boundaries of the body seem fluid.

Location

Zurich, Swiss Re Next

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