Großer Respekt

Since ancient times, public sculptures have been erected to celebrate national heroes, political leaders, historical events and shared ideals. These tend to involve idealised forms, as was the case during the reconstruction of East and West Germany in the 1970s and 80s. During that period, at the height of the Cold War, all kinds of large-scale political monuments were created to convey formulaic tales of national glory. 

Schütte’s monumental sculpture group Großer Respekt is a satirical response to that tradition, which seems to believe that the larger the monument, the more important the theme. Großer Respekt consists of a steel platform and multiple bronze figures. It appears to be a model for a public square of some kind. The central statue is reminiscent of Rodin’s well-known Burghers of Calais, although Schütte’s men appear more tragicomic than the tragic figures of the former. Bound together, the twisted figures stand with their feet in a basin filled to the brim with mud. Their arms wave in futile gestures toward a crowd that pays them no mind whatsoever. They appear helpless and absurd. The need for ‘great respect’ is not met. This is Schütte’s way of questioning the expressive power of artworks: how can art truly impact people in today’s world?

Although many of Schütte’s works are ‘models’ that speak to the public position of art, he also makes actual statues for public spaces. These works exist within the tradition of public sculpture, yet Schütte both participates in and subverts this tradition. Rather than glorifying heroes or national ideals, he gives us contorted, vulnerable and sometimes comic figures who emphasise the fragility of the human condition. His ironic sculptures take on meaning only through interaction with the viewer and their surroundings, replacing pre-packaged triumphant messages and imagery with critical commentary.