July 14, 2026
From October 29th to 31st, 2026, Berlin will become a meeting point for artists, curators, collectors and scholars as the 16th International Forum ‘Bodytalk – The Return of the Human Figure in Contemporary Sculpture’ examines the renewed significance of figuration in contemporary art. Organized by the Sculpture Network since 2005, the forum has established itself as one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to sculpture.
Nordic Countries Pavillion, Biennial Venice 2026 curated by Anna Mustonen. Artworks: Klara Kristalova, Tori Wrånes // Photo by FNG Pirje Mykkänen
Co-curated by Anne Berk and Anemone Vostell, this year’s edition focuses on conceptual figuration as a lens through which artists address questions of identity, love, power, technology and humanity’s relationship with nature. After World War II, the human figure largely vanished from Western art because it had been exploited for propaganda by Nazi and Soviet regimes. Artists such as Stephan Balkenhol helped revive figuration, reimagining it as a means of inquiry rather than ideology. Rather than celebrating heroic monuments, today’s figurative sculpture invites dialogue, placing viewers on equal footing with the works themselves.
Agnes, Questionmark: ‘Transgenesis,’ 2021 // Courtesy of the artist
The forum opens on the evening of October 29th at Berlin’s Kunsthaus Dahlem, where participants will explore the institution’s complex history—from its origins as Arno Breker’s studio to its present role as a museum of postwar modernism. A welcome reception and exhibition introduction by museum director Dr. Dorothea Schöne will set the stage for three days of discussion.
Anne Wenzel: ‘House of Fools Jan,’ 2023, ceramics, 195 × 115 × 97 cm; 223 × 210 × 210 cm // Photo by Peter Tijhuis
Friday’s program at PalaisPopulaire will feature lectures by international experts, including Kiasma Helsinki chief curator and curator of this year’s Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Anna Mustonen, alongside presentations by acclaimed artists Agnes Questionmark and Anne Wenzel, whose practices challenge conventional understandings of the human body. By forcing her body and her audience into spaces where humanity cannot enforce its normative claims, Questionmark problematizes the biopolitical implications of transgender and trans-species bodies in a world dominated by humans. Wenzel, meanwhile, draws on the codes of classical sculpture, working in an almost brutal manner with clay—this fragile, brittle, living material—to address themes such as power, violence and the struggle for equality.
A new addition to the forum brings collectors into the conversation, with Teresa Calbo (Spain) and Kateřina Havrlant (Czechia) discussing the motivations behind collecting figurative sculpture and the growing influence of female collectors in shaping artistic visibility.
Anna Uddenberg: ‘CLIMBER (Pierced Rosebud),’ mixed media, 160 x 280 x 170 cm, 2020 // Courtesy of Havrlant Art Collection, photo by Gunter Lepkowski
The closing day will include a visit to Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, where the directors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath will invite up to 100 international guests from across Europe to visit the ‘Endless Exhibition,’ the sculpture park and the exhibitions marking the institution’s 30th anniversary, including the show by the Leipzig sculptors’ group [materialistin], entitled ‘Matter of Care, Care of Matter.’ To conclude the three-day conference, the Noack Foundry on the banks of the Spree will open its doors for a guided tour of the casting room, the engraving workshop and the contemporary gallery of this historic institution. Visitors will also have a chance to see the studio of Russian-German sculptor Anna Bogouchevskaia, located within the foundry complex. The evening will finish with a dinner at the adjacent French restaurant, Bar Brasse. Together, these events promise a compelling exploration of how the human figure continues to evolve in contemporary sculpture.
Additional Info
Sculpture Network
‘XVI. International Forum: Bodytalk – The Return of the Human Figure in Contemporary Sculpture’
Symposium: Oct. 29-31, 2026
sculpture-network.org
Various Venues, Berlin
