Urban Life and Customs

In a collaborative effort, the Kunstverein Nordkanal has successfully completed the extensive renovation of the "Doorkeepers", a sculpture group by Wilhelm Schiefer, located in Kaarst's Vorster Forest.

The renovation, which took place this summer, was made possible through financial support from various sources. These included the Sparkasse Neuss, the Regiobahn, the Sparkassenstiftung Kaarst-Büttgen, the Bürgerstiftung Kaarst, the state of NRW through the "Heimat-Scheck", members of the association, and private donors.

The former forest worker's hut, now transformed into an architectural art installation, was originally painted pink. However, during the renovation, the artist responsible, Monika Nelles, decided to repaint the structure yellow. The original pink colour will still be visible at one corner as a nod to its history.

The 14-meter-high art installation required a mobile heavy-duty crane with a personnel basket to reach during the renovation process. The towers of the sculpture received new roofs, and many of the approximately 80-kilogram heavy crossbeams were replaced. The wooden hut's renovation also included sanding down the entire wooden construction and painting it with wood preservative in July.

The "Doorkeepers" sculpture group is connected to Kafka's short story "Before the Law". The inauguration of the sculpture took place in April, and unfortunately, shortly after, the newly installed glass door of the wooden hut was destroyed by vandals.

The large sculpture, "Bridges over the North Canal" by Wilhelm Schiefer, has been a landmark in Kaarst for 14 years. Exposed to wind and weather for over a decade, the renovation was necessary to preserve this cultural icon. The total cost for these extensive renovation works is around 27,000 euros, a cost that was covered by the generous contributions of the sponsors, who bridged the financing gap caused by unexpected increases in wood and metal prices last year.

The renovated "Doorkeepers" sculpture group stands as a testament to the power of community support and the importance of preserving art for future generations.