Himmel, Erde, Kunst

Schonthal Monastery is situated in the pastoral landscape of the Swiss Jura mountains near Basel. Its romanesque chapel was consecrated in 1187 and another document of 1266 mentions a Benedictine convent being established at Schonthal. During the reformation the monastery was abolished in 1529. The estate later fell to the city of Basel and the buildings were used as a farm, and became a private property in 1836. In 1986 the entire estate was sold again, the buildings were restored and the grounds and surrounding landscape partly remodelled to host the art-in-nature project Sculpture at Schonthal. Since its opening in 2000, the place has developed into a venue for exhibitions and art education, seminars, concerts, performances etc, featuring local and also internationally renowned artists. The new book Sculpture at Schonthal presents this unique place and project comprehensively. Artists featured in the park's permanent collection include: Ilan Averbuch (New York), Hamish Black (England), Miriam Cahn (Switzerland), Tony Cragg (British born, working in Germany), Martin Disler (Switzerland), Walter Fahndrich (Switzerland), Ian Hamilton Finlay (Scotland), Nigel Hall RA (London), Nicola Hicks (London), Hans Jospehsohn (Switzerland), Peter Kamm (Switzerland), Richard Long (England), Peter Nagel (Germany), David Nash RA (Wales), William Pye (London), Ulrich Ruckriem (Germany), Gerda Steiner & Jurg Lenzlinger (Switzerland), Roman Signer (Switzerland), Kurt Sigrist (Switzerland), Erik Steinbrecher (Switzerland), Erwin Wortelkamp (Germany). Sculpture at Schonthal is a work in progress with new works added continually, some of them created on site by artists in residence. Text in English & German