Arrival in Erfurt on the "Day of German Unity".
The streets were lively. I was glad to reach the Ursuline convent - our accommodation - in one piece. A kind welcome. The holiday bustle did not trouble me after the tiring drive.
This morning at 9:00 the transporter with the paintings arrived. We unloaded at the PAX-Bank and then went up the Domberg with the large works.
The pictures are still standing, wrapped, in the sacristy.
In the morning I freed the paintings from their wrappings at the PAX-Bank. Around noon Holger and Ilona arrived. In the afternoon we hung the first medium-sized pictures. It was a little tricky, since the works did not yet have their hanging hardware. But we managed. These six pictures have already found their place.
They were two exciting days.
On Wednesday at 8:00 a scissor lift was delivered to the St. Severi church; without it, hanging the works at a height of about 5 metres would not have been possible.
The challenge lay not only in the height but also in the fact that the columns must not be damaged - no dowels, no hooks, no pressure marks.
The sheathed copper-cable approach did not work. A new solution was found. After several trips to the hardware store the gear was complete. Once the first picture is hung, the rest follow swiftly. Holger was helped by Stefan Köhler from the parish and by Abraham, a young Eritrean.
Only the works at the organ gallery were still missing. We wanted to hang at least one - the landscape-format painting titled "Love" above the entrance to the sacristy. Under Holger's direction, the three of us managed it. This method of hanging we had taken over from Geisenheim, where the large formats were first shown. With his experienced eye, pastor Michael Neudert helped us balance the alignment. We had kept the other two pictures for Thursday.
Hopeful and happy, but also weary, we went back to our lodgings for a few hours of sleep. There would still be much to do the next day.
And so it was. The preparations continued right up until just before the opening.
Preparing two exhibition venues was a considerable challenge. Thanks to many helpers and to my friends, it succeeded. I thank each of them warmly, especially Holger and Ilona.
The new calendar 2023
… was ready in good time for the exhibition. This year in A5 format. It can be hung on the wall or used as a desk calendar. I created it from the EDITION "Small Pastels". It costs €10.00, of which €1.00 goes as a donation to the parish of St. Laurentius.
With this I also offer my thanks to the parish of St. Severi on the Erfurt Domberg for giving me the opportunity to show my large-format pastels.