Bernd goldmann’s favorite stands at the upper muhlbrucke.
Why he chose this one of the “eight poets in bamberg” art connoisseur and art lover goldmann explains: “it was the first place jaume plensa decided on” – back in january 2012, when he himself walked through the world heritage city with the spanish sculptor in search of possible sites.
The sculpture looks in the direction of the grove. But plensa’s idea was different, says goldmann: his poet was supposed to look there, as it were, at the origins of regnitz.
Not far from the upper mills, in the stephanskirche, the lionsclub bamberg-michelsberg is campaigning in a week for start-up financing for the purchase of a plensa artwork.
He dedicates his 5. Michelsberg advent on 8. December this time modern art, an idea of ilona bruckner, the “activity representative.
In the past four years, the proceeds from the charity event – a total of 33,000 euros – went primarily to the preservation of historical cultural assets such as the crib of the upper parish. This year, the club wanted to contribute to the growth of the bamberg sculpture trail.
The income of perhaps 10,000 euros was not more than start-up financing. But perhaps the initial tinderbox; at least that’s what they’re hoping for at city hall.
The city of bamberg is the organizer of the current rough sculpture show, but will not have the money to buy it. Press spokeswoman ulrike siebenhaar has no doubts about that when asked.
In view of the budget situation, the municipality will not be able to contribute much beyond logistical support, such as setting up a donation account.
According to goldmann, the price for one of the poets is around 250,000 euros. He is cautiously optimistic about a purchase, even though he would like to see it happen: "it is not yet clear whether the money will come together." But there are apparently signals from various foundations and potential sponsors that make goldmann as well as siebenhaar confident.
The joseph foundation, as the owner of the upper mills, can also imagine making a contribution if the work of art in front of its restaurant "eckerts" is to remain go to.
"We do not come as an acquirer into question", emphasizes their spokesman bernhard schneider. This would contradict the statutes of the church housing company. It is conceivable that the joseph foundation will take over the power supply for the sculpture, which is illuminated from the inside. The foundation council has the last word.
It seems certain that the forderverein freunde des internationalen kunstlerhauses villa concordia will not pay – anymore – to the funders. The current board of directors, headed by fiona freifrau von colberg, sees its main task "basically in challenging the scholarship holders", those who live and work temporarily in the kunstlerhaus.
The association owns three of the works of art on the sculpture trail: the mitoraj head (2000) on the lower bridge, the avramidis figure (1999) on pfahlplatzchen, and the luginbuhl anchor (2002) at schiffbauplatz. It has been inherited from former association presidents.
The purchases stem from bernd goldmann’s era as the founding director of the international art house. He had the idea and contacts for the rough sculpture shows in the old town. This time he is "only their organizer and on behalf of the city active.
What makes him confident is that the people of bamberg have already raised much more than 250,000 euros for modern art. The "woman with fruit, which has adorned the heumarkt since 1998, is reminiscent of the very first rough sculpture show with works by the colombian fernando botero in 1997.
She cost more than a million deutschmarks. Two major sponsors and many burgers with smaller donations made the purchase possible.
In the meantime, the sculpture trail consists of eleven works, not including the recently inaugurated "drehhhorn" by liesel metten in front of the university library at the burgershof. Goldmann knew of no german city that had "something like this" to offer – work by living artists of international standing in historic surroundings.