Until April 14, 2024, the Glyptothek's courtyard hosts "Room O," a monumental walk-through sculpture by steel artist Christian Neumaier and architect Hildegard Rasthofer. Crafted from mirror-polished stainless steel, this sculptural rotunda spans nine meters in diameter and invites visitors to explore its empty interior from every angle. Its gently curving wings seem to welcome you inside—yet the sculpture appears so naturally placed, you might wonder if it has always belonged here. The countless hours invested in its creation remain invisible; only the precision of mirror-finished steel hints at the exceptional craftsmanship, artistic vision, and technical mastery behind it. Neumaier, a master metalworker and blacksmith, and Rasthofer, an architect, have again demonstrated their collaborative genius—following their earlier vertical sculpture "Sichtung." This new circular work measures 9.5 meters in diameter and rises 3.6 meters high. Six gleaming, curved kinetic panels swing like French doors against one another, creating the threshold that draws you inward. The Glyptothek continues its tradition of presenting exceptional artworks as special exhibitions—previous installations featured works by Jim Dine and Santiago Calatrava, among other masters. This 23.5-ton steel sculpture arrived by flatbed truck and was hoisted by crane over the roofline of the historic Klenze building to reach its courtyard home.

www.rasthofer.neumaier.art

Photography Credits:

Anne Wild
www.annewild.de

(Published in CUBE Munich 04|23)