Welge In andere Welten aufbrechen
The Art Walk
In andere Welten aufbrechen
„As an abbot, he peacefully passed away after a fulfilling life. The exception among the Fourteen. Miraculous stories surround him; Egidius.“
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A Closer Look at the Work
With Egidius, a figure appears who stands in contrast to the tragic biographies of the other works – „the exception among the Fourteen“. For Welge, Saint Giles (Latin: Egidius) becomes a symbol of an identity that is suspended in its „cut/envelope“ and at the same time transcends it.
The form carries a somewhat capsule-like, protected feel – and at the same time a futuristic feel. The artist himself describes the appearance as „like an astronaut“: a figure between innerness and departure, between a monastic collection and cosmic vastness.
Not coincidentally, the name also recalls the Comunità di Sant’Egidio, founded in Rome in 1968 and which was instrumental in bringing about the peace agreement in Mozambique in 1992. Thus, the sculpture combines spiritual tradition with contemporary commitment – a departure „into other worlds“ that takes effect in this world.
About the Artist
The Sculptor Friedhelm Welge (*1952) lives in Frankfurt am Main, has his studio in Bad Camberg and works realistically and expressively. From his central work PROJEKT 14 (14 sculptures on the topic of human rights), Ardi Goldman Three sculptures have been acquired. For over 40 years, the sculptor has been working artistically, and for the same period he has also been writing. In doing so, he follows the credo: „Writing is raging and raging in the quarry of language.“ For example, the poetry collection WORTSTEINE was published in 2025; it contains poems about all four sculptures that can be seen in the Union area. He prefers to work with marble, sandstone, diabase, limestone, and granite. But he also repeatedly uses wood, bronze, or develops object-like forms.
His sculptural and linguistic work interpenetrate each other. For Welge, sculpture is never just form but always also condensed narrative, historical echo, and existential inquiry. In the three works gathered here from PROJEKT 14, this connection is particularly evident – they combine individual destinies, spiritual attitudes, and spiritual dimensions with the overarching theme of human rights.
Photos: © Stefan Gröpper Photography
Ardi Goldman Kunst-
und Kulturstiftung gGmbH
Uniongelände
Hanauer Landstraße 188, 60314 Frankfurt am Main