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Emscherkunstweg

The Emscherkunstweg is a public art collection along the Emscher. The cooperation project is implemented by Urbane Künste Ruhr (until 30.9.2025), the Emschergenossenschaft and the Regionalverband Ruhr and is under the patronage of Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The public art collection emerged from the temporary exhibition format Emscherkunst, which has accompanied the Emscher conversion by the Emschergenossenschaft since 2010. Emscherkunst was initiated on the occasion of the RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture and subsequently continued as a triennial. Since 2019, the Emscherkunstweg has been a permanent sculpture trail and thus a sustainable exhibition format for the region. Five new works of art were added to the existing works. The extension was designed by Britta Peters, artistic director of Urbane Künste Ruhr, together with curator Marijke Lukowicz.

Open "Neustadt"
Artists Marta Dyachenko and Julius von Bismarck, together with artistic director Britta Peters, sit in front of Neustadt, a miniature city composed of models of demolished buildings from the Ruhr region.

© Daniel Sadrowski

Neustadt

Duisburg

A total of 23 sculptures form a fictitious city, on a scale of 1:25, made up of various real buildings that have been demolished in the Ruhr area since the turn of the millennium.

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Open "Königsgrube"

© Henning Rogge

Königsgrube

Herne

A former pumping station of a disused colliery on the Emscherkunstweg becomes an installation, the name remains and sounds promising: Königsgrube.

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Open "Pool Lines"
The sculpture Pool Lines by Sofía Táboas consists of two large triangular structures covered in shimmering green mosaic tiles, blending into the surrounding landscape.

© Henning Rogge

Pool Lines

Dortmund

Two large triangles together constitute a third triangular form. Their waist-high walls are about one metre thick; they both taper and flatten towards the ground.

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Open "Emscher Folly"
Emscher Folly, a bicycle sculpture by Nicole Wermers, consists of over 50 bicycles arranged in a triangular shape, symbolizing mobility and urban transformation in the Ruhr area.

© Henning Rogge

Emscher Folly

Duisburg

For the Emscherkunstweg, artist Nicole Wermers has created a sculpture from over 50 bicycles and a triangular bicycle stand she designed.

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Open "Public Hybrid"
The installation Public Hybrid by David Jablonowski features multiple sandstone and plastic sculptures, their vibrant colors and irregular shapes appearing like artificial rock formations.

© Heinrich Holtgreve

Public Hybrid

Dortmund

David Jablonowski’s hybrid sculpture is located directly next to the Emscher-Weg bike path in the Schüren district of Dortmund.

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Xanten

The Grand Snail Tour will be accompanied by literary, photographic and illustrative artists, who will collect impressions and reflections from the same city at the same time as the Trailer is there and put them into visual or literary form. The result is a paratext on the three-year tour, a travel chronicle in the form of a kaleidoscope of stories, connections and snapshots in the 53 cities of the region, revealing the simultaneities and non-simultaneities of the Grand Snail Tour.

Xanten by Jul Gordon

Black and white illustration of a house with a front yard in Xanten. Text: "We are not talking about work here, we are talking about... front yards."

© Jul Gordon

Hand-drawn illustration of a house entrance with a palm tree and decorative figures. Text: "There is a lot of work here... and very careful work."

© Jul Gordon

Drawing of two lion statues in front of a door with dialogue. Text: "So, I just wanted to say, I won’t set an alarm or anything." – "Why? If something happens...?"

© Jul Gordon

Black and white illustration of a frog with binoculars sitting on a table in front of a door. Text: "Do you remember Simex?"

© Jul Gordon

Artistic drawing with flying birds and a ribbon. Text: "She has become a cat." – "Could we maybe redirect this?"

© Jul Gordon

Hand-drawn illustration of a creative front yard decoration with stacked shapes. Text: "She is really awesome."

© Jul Gordon

Minimalist drawing of a house with a lion figure in front of the door. Text: "And prevent more of this mess."

© Jul Gordon

Critical illustration of an advertising poster with the text "You belong" and a crowd. Text: "E.g. fascism."

© Jul Gordon

Artist

Open Artsit

Jul Gordon

Jul Gordon lives in Hamburg and works as a comic artist. In addition to drawing, she curates exhibitions and works as a lecturer at the HAW Hamburg.

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