16 - A New Autumn Begins in St. Gallen
The month of October was punctuated by a prolific stay at the Kunstgiesserei foundry in St. Gallen, Switzerland, where Jim Dine returned to his studio to begin work on brand-new sculptures.
Jim Dine and Nathan Federer at the Kunstgiesserei, St. Gallen.
Two hours from Zurich, on the shores of Lake Constance, the road winds up a mountainside, and a river, the Sittertobel, leads us to the Kunstgiesserei St. Gallen, one of the world's most important art foundries. In 1994, Felix Lehner established the premises of the Kunstgiesserei in Beinwill an See in the former Sittertal valley dye works, and in 2006, he founded the Kunstgiesserei here.
Since then, three entities have coexisted.
The Sitterwerk foundation, an interactive physical and digital library, which references a large collection of art books and an archive of material samples.
The Kesselhaus Josephsohn, a public exhibition space devoted exclusively to the work of Swiss sculptor Hans Josephson.
And finally, the Kunstgiesserei, dedicated to the production and restoration of works of art and architectural projects for artists, galleries and museums. Here, not only are metals (bronze, brass, nickel, silver or aluminum) cast, but also synthetic materials and various polymers, as well as wood, plaster and glass, using traditional techniques and digital technologies. Around a hundred people work here. Men and women of all ages. Apprentices, exceptional craftsmen, artists and researchers work side by side in a spirit of companionship.
Jim Dine and Felix Lehner at the Kunstgiesserei, St. Gallen.
“The Studio and the people at the Kunstgiesserei, with their highly sophisticated sense of collaboration and cooperation, have given me the gift of silence and contemplation so that I can see clear. ” —Jim Dine
Since 2020, Jim Dine has established his studio here. All the projects he has completed here bear witness to his close relationship with the foundry's craftsmen, with whom he works hand in hand, often taking part in every stage of the work's creation.
Text: Olympe Racana-Weiler, Paris, October 2024
Photography: Daniel Clarke, St. Gallen, October 2024
