Art Tour Oberhausen
August 11, 2026From the floating elephant, the dancing power pole and the mystery of the sun
Georg Kolbe, Wilhelm Lueg, 1940–1941, St. Antony-Hütte Klosterhardt © Rainer Schlautmann
“What does Adamas mean ?” “That’s right near us!” – Students crowd in small groups in front of the pictures in the exhibition. Many of the images are familiar to them from everyday life. At first glance, the serious-looking bust of the industrialist Wilhelm Lueg , created by none other than sculptor Georg Kolbe, Hartwig Kompa’s bright red stepped tower on the Vondern wasteland, or the wall in front of the post office on Friedrich-Karl-Straße, populated with lively landscape and animal depictions by Kenyan artists Brian Kimani, Isaiah Malunga, and Adam Masava, seem to have little in common. But whether representative portrait sculpture, reminders of industrial heritage, fountain sculpture, sound art, or street art – they all belong to the artworks in Oberhausen’s urban landscape. This year, the 94 local works, which for many Oberhausen residents have long been part of their commute, a meeting place with friends, or a symbol of their own neighborhood, are receiving special attention. In addition to the exhibition "From Adamas to Sorcerer's Apprentice. Art in Oberhausen – photographed by Rainer Schlautmann" , which opens in June in the Little Castle of the LUDWIGGALERIE, the Art Tour will also be presented to the public.
Inge's idea, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, 2023, Ripshorst Arboretum © Rainer Schlautmann
From idea to website
The Oberhausen Art Tour project was launched in 2024 on the initiative of Cultural Affairs Officer Apostolos Tsalastras. Its aim is to create a directory of public art and thus make the diverse works visible. With funding from the Rhineland Regional Association, under the leadership of the Cultural Office, and with expert guidance from the Ludwig Gallery at Oberhausen Castle, the project was set in motion. The details were quickly agreed upon: the art would make the leap into the digital world, with a website and an app presenting all the works with images and brief background information. Museum Director Dr. Christine Vogt suggested commissioning photographer Rainer Schlautmann for the project. The Oberhausen native focuses his work on art and culture and is now photographing public art in his hometown for the first time. For the Art Tour , he skillfully stages the artworks, giving familiar pieces new perspectives and playing with light, shadow, and the surrounding environment. Karl Muschalek's owl suddenly appears to have eyes, which, upon closer inspection, turn out to be the foliage of the trees in the background, captured at the perfect angle through the owl's eyeholes. August Bauer's statue of Gottlob Jacobi seems almost mystical, half-hidden in the surrounding greenery, and inges idee's "Dance of the Sorcerer's Apprentice " power pole is brought to life by its arrangement with its static counterparts. To get the best out of each work, Schlautmann photographs it in all seasons. While some pieces look best against a backdrop of spring greenery, others only truly shine under a blanket of snow.
Lena Elster is responsible for creating the texts for the individual artworks and the routes that guide visitors to the highlights of public art in the various city districts. A special aspect of the project is accessibility: Uschi Baetz writes aesthetic descriptions for people with visual impairments or who are blind. This ensures that the website www.kunsttour-oberhausen.de offers access to the art for the entire city community. Nearly two years after the project's launch, the city of Oberhausen will announce the new digital offering in May 2026.
Anonymous, Sun, n.d. © Rainer Schlautmann
Familiar, new, and mysterious
Anyone who has already glanced at the website or the accompanying exhibition catalog will surely have discovered some familiar works, as well as new art. It becomes clear how many facets Oberhausen has to offer and how much the artworks reveal when allowed to speak. There's Jörg Mazur's " Elevated Levitated Elephant ," which alludes to an anecdote about the elephant Tuffi jumping from the Wuppertal Suspension Railway and, shortly afterward, paying a visit to Oberhausen's town hall. Otto Waldner's " Berlin Bear" symbolizes the city's connection to divided Berlin and commemorates the uprising of June 17th. In Sterkrade, Wilhelm Hanebal's " The Iron Founder" presents a less idealized, rather weary depiction of a typical industrial profession – promptly earning the figure the nickname "Tired Theodor" among locals . And: One artwork's origin remains a mystery to everyone involved. It is a steel object in the shape of a sun , located on an old bridge pier on the Rhine-Herne Canal, and its creator has (so far) not been identified. Perhaps the mystery will be solved by the end of the exhibition?
Günther A. Steinmann, Adamas, 2010, Rathauspark Oberhausen © Rainer Schlautmann
The students visiting the exhibition at the Little Castle today choose their favorite pictures and try to trace the forms of the artworks. While the boys favor Günter A. Steinmann's imposing Adamas in front of the town hall – the name could refer to an Athenian sculptor, a Trojan from Greek mythology, or an indestructible material – some of the girls opt for Medusa , a comic-style depiction of the mythological figure, which Raha Alborzy brings to life in a modern style on the brickwork in Old Oberhausen. Old and new, urban and regional, steel, sandstone, and graffiti; the public art in Oberhausen holds a few surprises! And those who have previously only strolled past the artworks in their neighborhood might now see them in a new light.
Lena Elster
General