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Metal Design Exhibition and “Bridge of Friendship” in Kolbermoor

| від 10 01 2006 - 22:17

From 4th to 6th August, the German city of Kolbermoor will be the host of the “Sixth Bavarian Meeting of Artist Blacksmiths and Metal Designers”.

The bi-annual event is considered to be the largest in Germany. The highlight in the programme will be the creation of the third “Bridge of Friendship” world-wide. But, starting in May already the town in Upper Bavaria will move into centre stage of metal design – with a large open-air exhibition.
This year the forging town on the river Mangfall in Upper Bavaria will render available Luitpold Park to the metal designers as an exhibition area from May to October on occasion of the tenth anniversary of the “Biennale”. Metal designers interested in providing exhibits are requested to get in touch with HEPHAISTOS as soon as possible. For the first time a permanent exhibition can be set up for a longer period of time directly in the “front room” of the town on the river Mangfall. The park with its old stand of trees and attractive exhibition areas stretches between the town hall, the river Mangfall and the new home of the traditional costume societies. Mayor Peter Kloo describes the options for the exhibitors as follows: “Many people enjoy this former hospital park every day. And, as an additional attraction, the district costume festival will be organised in the summer. We reckon to have 8,000 visitors more on this occasion alone !”
Due to the fact that neither the organising team of the “European Centre for Contemporary Metal Design” nor the town council have a budget for exhibitions worth mentioning, the participating metal designers cannot reckon with any financial assistance. But, the building yard of the town of Kolbermoor will assist in work required to set up and remove the exhibits. The transport to and from the town, however, will have to be managed by the exhibitors themselves, whereby collective transport can be organised.
As another “large project”, the “European Centre for Contemporary Metal Design” is planning to realize the third “Bridge of Friendship” world-wide during the meeting of blacksmiths in August. The other two bridges are located in Aachen, Germany, and in Memphis, Tennessee in the US. The bridge shall remain in Kolbermoor permanently and shall be positioned towards the other two bridges.
The idea of the inventor, the late Aachen-based metal designer Manfred Bredohl, was to set up such bridges on several continents as a sign of peace and as a sign of friendship of blacksmiths all over the world. The forging work will be created on site by the participants in the “Sixth Bavarian Meeting of Artist Blacksmiths and Metal Designers” at the fires set up in the square in front of the old town hall of Kolbermoor. The draft for the “Bridge of Friendship” has been completed already by the artist blacksmith and metal designer Michael Ertlmeier from the Bavarian town of Ascholding, who had been commissioned by the “European Centre” to prepare graphical proposals. Some of the rods for the bridge will be provided by Matthias Peters, former president of the IFGS and member of the “European Centre”. The rods weighing well over half a tonne are from his closed down workshop in Stolberg. The assembly of the “Bridge of Friendship” during the bi-annual meeting in Kolbermoor will be assisted also by young handicapped persons. They will be supervised by the blacksmiths. HEPHAISTOS will report in detail about the additional programme for the “Sixth Bavarian Meeting of Artist Blacksmiths and Metal Designers” in the issues to come.
With respect to the outdoor exhibition, the organisers are convinced now already that interesting works will come together and that the metal design show will also generate some sales. Mayor Peter Kloo says: “We still lack some park furniture in the revitalised “green lung” of Kolbermoor. For this reason, purchases or orders do not seem improbable, if suitable objects are offered.” In addition, the plans are to set up metal design works indoor in public buildings, banks and other well frequented businesses which refer to the objects in the park.
The exhibition has no special subject. The team of the “European Centre” which is responsible for the exhibition and the “Sixth Bavarian Meeting of Artist Blacksmiths and Metal Designers”, however, announced that practical exhibits and modern works are requested apart from sculptures. The organisers will also set up an attractive, permanent Internet presentation of this exhibition. In addition, this Internet catalogue will be effectively linked to all metal design web pages, attracting visitors to these sites.
The delivery of the exhibits may take place as from the beginning of May. They will be set up on 26th and 27th May. An atmospheric, typically Upper Bavarian opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, 27th May. During the disassembly on 3rd October, the German Unity Day, a big closing ceremony will be organised, during which the galvanised and patinated “Bridge of Friendship” will be opened ceremonially. The exhibitors who want to participated are asked to get in touch as soon as possible.

For more information, please get in touch with:
Verlag HEPHAISTOS
Gnadenberger Weg 4
D-87509 Immenstadt-Werdenstein
Germany
Tel.: +49 (8379) 728016
Fax.: +49 (8379) 728018
Email: info@metall-aktiv.de
www.metall-aktiv.de

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