Vater Staat

Thomas Schütte's monumental bronze sculpture Vater Staat plays on power relations, yet the imposing figure is helpless. Its severity, expressed by its stature and hieratic expression, is undermined by its constrictive clothing. Playing on the paradox between strength and weakness, Vater Staat (which means "Father State" in German) appears to be an ironic allegory of power.

Here, Schütte is interested in the impact of political systems on the lives of individuals. He humorously shifts from commemorating to deriding the figure (because of the size of the work).

Vater Staat, a sculpture in the Pinault Collection, was exhibited for the first time at the "Eloge du doute" ("In Praise of Doubt") show (Punta della Dogana, Venice, 2013).