Over the years, EGO3D has worked with many sculptors, supporting up-and-coming talents as well as renowned artists. Each of these collaborations makes us proud! But so far only one has brought us to the cinema: our modest contribution to the work of the sculptor Thomas Schütte.
Thomas Schütte is one of the most important contemporary sculptors and artists. The Oldenburg native, who lives and works in Düsseldorf, is world-famous for the versatility of his sculptures, installations and architectural models.
In autumn 2021, a much-noticed exhibition of selected works took place in New York. At its centre was the three-metre tall "mermaid" - a bronze weighing several tons based on a cast around 30 centimetres in size that was created years ago as a model sketch in Schütte's preferred art foundry and had only just been rediscovered.
We were able to support Thomas Schütte in scaling the miniature to the larger-than-life format. In the presence of the artist, we made 3D scans of the little mermaid and developed a 3D model from them. We also "digitized" the sculptor's arm and hand, as they were to be incorporated into the model. This resulted in a milled, multi-part styrofoam model in the oversized final format, first on the computer and later, which the artist further processed until it was ready for molding and casting.
Working on such a project alone is already something special. However, it was even more exciting because we and everyone else involved in the creation of the mermaid were accompanied by a camera team led by director Corinna Belz. Her documentary film "Thomas Schütte - I am not alone" later offered a deep and personal insight into the sculptor's work. It was an honor for us to be able to attend the cinema premiere in Düsseldorf in June 2023!
For anyone who hasn't seen the film and would like to watch Thomas Schütte in his creative process, we have a tip: An abridged version of the film with narration can be seen in the arte media library until November 9, 2024!
The documentary film "Thomas Schütte - I am not alone" is still available on DVD.
Addendum: The New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is currently dedicating a major exhibition to Thomas Schütte. It can be seen until January 18, 2025.