Olaf Metzel b. 1952

Olaf Metzel (b. 1952, Berlin, Germany, lives and works between Munich, Berlin and Marche) is a Professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich since 1990. Metzel is a sculptor whose provocative and dynamic works engage critically with social and political issues, often incorporating found objects and urban materials, creating sculptures that challenge conventional perceptions and provoke dialogue. His installations, frequently sited in public spaces, address themes such as historical memory, societal conflicts, and the intersection of art and everyday life. 

Olaf Metzel has participated in documenta 8 and Skulptur-Projekte Münster in 1987 and 1997. In 1984 and 1990, he participated in the Sydney Biennale, in 1995 and 2015 in the Istanbul Biennale, and in 2001 in the São Paulo Biennale. Metzel has held numerous solo exhibitions, including: Neue Pinakothek, Munich; Neues Museum Nürnberg; Museum Küppersmühle, Duisburg; Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg; Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin; Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal; Museum of Art, Ein Harod; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart; Hamburger Kunsthalle; Haus am Waldsee, Berlin; Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich; Westfälisches Landesmuseum, Münster. Olaf Metzel's sculptures in public spaces are to be found across Europe and Asia. Works by him are held in various international collections, including; Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen; Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich; Burger Collection, Berlin; Collezione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin; Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg; Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf; Kunstsammlung im Ständehaus, Düsseldorf; Kunstmuseum Bonn; Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; Sammlung Ackermans, Museum Kurhaus Kleve; Sammlung Deutsche Bank; Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg; Sammlung Landesmuseum Münster; Sammlung René Block, Berlin; Sammlung zeitgenössischer Kunst der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart; Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich; The Margulies Collection, Miami; Weserburg Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen and ZKM, Karlsruhe.