43 meters long, eleven meters wide, ten meters high and bright magenta: the largest and most flashy work of art in the district is currently being built on Bahnhofstrasse in Starnberg.
The artist Andreas Sarow is responsible for "Cradle of Starnberg", who already caused a sensation in 2019 with "The Last Bastion".
Starnberg
- Some might count the steps, others enjoy the view of the lake and mountains, completely others just let their soul dangle under the white-blue Starnberg sky. What is currently being built on Bahnhofstrasse has what it takes to be a crowd puller - if only because of its flashy color. “The cradle of Starnberg” is what the 46-year-old artist Andreas Sarow from Pforzheim calls the work of art on which he and his six-person team will be putting the finishing touches in the next few days. The opening is planned for Friday next week. The accessible object is then open to the public.
The property belongs to the Starnberg project developer Ehret und Klein.
The “Pizza Drive” and the Bike It bike shop were housed there until the end of last year, and demolition work began a few weeks ago.
Ehret und Klein is planning a new building with apartments and businesses (we reported).
Until that happens, however, the company has commissioned artist Sarow with the temporary use.
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Big and flashy and unique: view of the “cradle of Starnberg” from the ground.
© Andrea Jaksch
"The first contact was about a year ago," said Sarow in an interview with Starnberg Merkur.
Not least because of his “last bastion” Ehret und Klein became aware of him.
Under the title, the artist had redesigned a demolition house next to the city library on Hauptstrasse in 2019 and caused a sensation.
So now the “cradle of Starnberg” - 42 meters long, eleven meters wide, ten meters high. The wooden construction consists of a plateau from which around 50 steps lead upwards. The plateau is located on the former parking lot, and an empty residential building acts as the substructure for the stairs. In total, the bright magenta-colored object is designed for 700 people. With the 1.50 corona distance, 75 people can fit on the plateau and 50 on the stairs at the same time.
"At first glance, this area was a non-place for me, which many knew, but only came across briefly," says Sarov.
“So driving past.
Without appreciation, without urban definition, without urban quality. ”And that, although the location at the connection between the city center and the Starnberger See museum, only separated from the water by the railway line, is outstanding in itself.
The proximity to the historic Lochmann house from the early 16th century makes it the “cradle of Starnberg” for Sarow.
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There is still some work to be done.
Incidentally, some of the wood comes from earlier work by the artist.
© Andrea Jaksch
"In my opinion, Starnberg basically suffers from the increasing loss of its identity and the associated quality of life," he says. Art and culture, especially in public spaces, could be the key to sustainably developing and shaping this identity and quality. After all, Starnberg has the best prerequisites for this, historically and geographically.
Sarow calls the shrill hue “typical” for his work. This is where it is perfect - as a counterpoint to the green of nature and the brown of the Lochmann house. For him, the dimensions of the “Cradle of Starnberg” are “the largest and most complex installation I've ever done”. Now he hopes that as many Starnbergers and visitors as possible will be taken by it after the opening. “Curiosity is what defines us all,” says Sarov. “Look, what's behind it, what can I expect? Take possession of the sculpture, conquer it, change your perspective and discover new views of your Starnberg. "
