Right before us stands “Threesome”. It is not just a sculpture, but a testament to artistic vision and engineering. This artwork has traveled from New York’s Park Avenue to Berlin’s EUREF Campus.
The “Threesome” sculpture officially greets visitors since June 2021. It stands tall on Torgauer Straße. The official inauguration took place in October 2021 with artist Ewerdt Hilgemann and CEO Reinhard Müller.
Ewerdt Hilgemann created the impressive six-meter-high sculpture. It weighs two tons. The sculpture consists of three parts, each crafted from three-millimeter-thick steel. The sun makes it shine like a pillar of light.
Reinhard Müller, EUREF’s CEO, first saw Hilgemann’s work in New York in 2014. He spotted the “Threesome” sculpture on Park Avenue. He immediately called Hilgemann. After its New York exhibition, the sculpture embarked on a small world tour. Finally, it arrived in Berlin. Two low loaders transported it to the EUREF Campus on June 14.
How did Hilgemann create the unique folds in the sculpture? He spent half his life exploring how to deform materials simply. First, the sides and top are welded together using a special laser technique. This makes the structure airtight. A valve is installed to suck out the air. The vacuum creation takes about 90 minutes. During this process, the folds appear almost magically. The final shape is not entirely predictable. However, Hilgemann’s experience helps him understand how the cube will develop.
“Threesome” is not Hilgemann’s only work on the EUREF Campus. “Four Parts of a Cube”, created in 1995, stands before the DB Tower. Another Hilgemann sculpture is in front of the Investitionsbank Berlin headquarters on Bundesallee.
Ewerdt Hilgemann was born in Witten in 1938. He studied at various institutions. These include the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster. He also attended the Werkkunstschule and University of Saarland in Saarbrücken. He lived in artist communities. He moved to Gorinchem in the Netherlands in 1970. He taught at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam. Since 1984, he has lived in Amsterdam. His studio is near Gorinchem.
Hilgemann’s creativity is still strong. More of his works are expected. At the unveiling of “Threesome”, Reinhard Müller thanked Hilgemann. He noted that the sculpture will be another landmark of the EUREF Campus. It joins the Gasometer as a symbol of the area. “Threesome” is made of stainless steel. Its dimensions are 600/550/500 x 100 x 100cm. It is a striking addition to Berlin’s art scene.