Bernd Zimmer's Stoa169: A Global Art Portico in Bavarian Countryside
In Polling, Bavaria, artist Bernd Zimmer has unveiled Stoa169, a grand open-air portico comprising 121 columns created by various international artists. The structure was partially inaugurated in September 2020 and has since drawn 30,000 visitors, with full completion anticipated in spring 2021. Born in 1948, Zimmer relocated his studio to Polling in 1984. The project, inspired by the porticos of southern Indian temples, seeks to convey an optimistic perspective on globalization. Among the featured artists are Herbert Brandl, Peter Halley, and Marina Abramović. Open 24/7 and free of charge, the portico can be accessed via a nature trail along the Ammer River. Zimmer scaled back the initial design from 169 columns due to challenges with artists, highlighting its educational significance rooted in his exploration of religious history.
Key facts
- Stoa169 is located in Polling, Bavaria, 50 km from Munich.
- The project was conceived by Bernd Zimmer after a trip to southern India.
- The portico will have 121 columns, not 169 as originally planned.
- 81 columns have been completed as of the interview.
- The structure is free and open to the public 24/7.
- 30,000 visitors attended the partial inauguration in September 2020.
- Official completion is expected in spring 2021.
- Zimmer co-founded the gallery am Moritzplatz in Berlin.
- Participating artists include Herbert Brandl, Peter Halley, Rebecca Horn, and others.
- Marina Abramović and William Kentridge declined to participate.
- The portico has no main entrance and is oriented with a slight 4-degree shift.
- The land is farmed using biodynamic agriculture.
- Zimmer has a second studio at Castello di Monteventano in Emilia Romagna.
Entities
Artists
- Bernd Zimmer
- Herbert Brandl
- Peter Halley
- Rebecca Horn
- Magdalena Jetelova
- Brigitte Kowanz
- Sean Scully
- Daniel Spoerri
- Subodh Gupta
- Erwin Wurm
- Andreas Angelidakis
- Georges Adéagbo
- Marina Abramović
- William Kentridge
- Lawrence Weiner
- Enzo Cucchi
- Mimmo Paladino
- Siegfried Anzinger
- Leiko Ikemura
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Giuseppe Penone
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Monica Bonvicini
- Rainer Fetting
- Helmut Middendorf
- Salomé
- Heinrich Zügel
- Franz Defregger
- Franz Duveneck
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Gabriele Münter
- Franz Marc
- Thomas Mann
Institutions
- Stoa169
- Fondazione Stoa169
- Galleria am Moritzplatz
- Scuola di Monaco di Baviera
- Lenbachhaus
- Museo Franz Marc
- Museo civico di Murnau
- Villa Massimo
- Artribune
- Airbnb
Locations
- Polling
- Bavaria
- Germany
- Munich
- Planegg
- Ammer River
- Murnau
- Kochel Lake
- Alps
- Emilia Romagna
- Castello di Monteventano
- Piacenza
- Rome
- Italy
- India
- Japan
- France
- Paris
- Africa
- Benin