Stephan Balkenhol (*1957) is one of the most important contemporary German sculptors. In the spring of 2021, he created a largerthanlife sculpture of the composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). The idea for the work BTHVN arose when, in the fall of 2020, the monumental Beethoven sculpture by Max Klinger (1857–1920) left its familiar location at the MdbK to travel to Bonn, Beethoven’s birthplace, for the exhibition Max Klinger and the Artwork of the Future. The empty pedestal at the MdbK was a welcome invitation for Stephan Balkenhol to visualize his interpretation of the composer in sculptural form. Starting in mid June 2021, Balkenhol’s sculpture will be positioned for several months on Max Klinger’s Beethoven pedestal at the MdbK.
