Contemplating life’s complexities frozen in bronze. Here we stand before the Sinnende Statue. The Sinnende Statue by Sabina Grzimek invites reflection. It is located in the garden court of Humboldt University’s main building. But its journey here is part of our story.
Sabina Grzimek created this artwork between 1972 and 1974. The Democratic Women’s Association of Germany commissioned it in 1971. Initially, there was a plan to place the Sinnende Statue near a shopping center. But this idea was soon abandoned.
Christa Reuschel offers insight into the artist’s inspiration. Grzimek drew inspiration from Walter von der Vogelweide’s famous poem. The poem starts with “Ich sass uff einem Steine”. This translates to “I sat on a stone”. Grzimek created a sculpture full of inner harmony and beauty.
The statue embodies thoughtfulness. The Sinnende Statue is a highly abstract representation. It shows a nude woman sitting on a rectangular cube. Her upper body leans forward with tension. Her right leg is crossed over her left thigh. She supports herself on the seat with her right hand. Her left arm rests on her left knee. Her head rests in her open hand. Her face is stretched forward in thought.
The Sinnende Statue made its debut in 1975. It was part of the “Sculpture and Flowers” exhibition in Treptower Park. It was called “Sitzende” or “Seated”. In autumn 1976, it appeared in “Sculpture in the Open Air”. That exhibition took place in Karl-Marx-Stadt. It was also displayed in the Berlin District Art Exhibition in 1977. It reappeared at “Sculpture and Flowers” in Treptower Park in 1978. The Sinnende Statue was showcased in the Berlin exhibition “Everyday Life and Epoch” in 1984.
In 1975, Sabina Grzimek gifted a cast to Humboldt University. This Sinnende Statue was first placed in the courtyard. The courtyard belonged to the Ferdinand Thomas student residence. It was located on Storkower Street. The university no longer owned these buildings by the mid-1990s. So, in 1995, the Sinnende Statue moved. It was relocated to the garden court of Humboldt University’s main building. This building is located Unter den Linden and Dorotheenstrasse.
Another cast of the Sinnende Statue was acquired by the city of Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1977. Karl-Marx-Stadt was renamed Chemnitz in 1990. This statue was initially displayed in the Stadthallenpark. It was part of the “Sculpture in the Open Air” exhibition. Since 1980, it has stood in front of the Chemnitz Playhouse entrance. A third cast of the Sinnende is located in Rostock’s Schwanenteichpark.
The Sinnende Statue here at Humboldt University is made of bronze. It sits on a concrete base. The Sinnende Statue encourages us to pause. It invites us to reflect on the world around us. It embodies contemplation. It reminds us of the power of art to inspire thought and emotion.