Exhibition tip: Rehberger’s sculptures entice visitors to Baden-Baden
"kunst findet stadt" 2026—an exhibition of public art by Tobias Rehberger—tells visitors that art shines... so, simply follow your nose...
Tobias Rehberger’s art exhibition runs in Baden-Baden until September 6, 2026—meaning there is just under a month left! It is worth seeing soon, as the text on the illuminated gateway reads: "In two days, tomorrow is already yesterday"... (NEDERLANDS, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH, ITALIANO, FRANÇAIS)
Baden-Baden. Through the "kunst findet stadt" initiative, Baden-Baden brings international contemporary art to the beautiful spa gardens in the heart of the spa town every year—an effort organized by Baden-Baden Events GmbH. Art thus becomes part of city life, which sooner or later leads every visitor to the Baden-Baden Kurhaus. This year, the featured artist is Tobias Rehberger, who is visiting the spa town with his neon installations and sculptures. Tobias Rehberger (born 1966 in Esslingen) primarily works as a professor of sculpture at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. His artistic language is diverse, ranging from sculpture to painting and beyond. In 2009, the artist received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for his contribution, as well as the Hans Thoma Prize from the state of Baden-Württemberg.
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| Tobias Rehberger – Public Art – Baden-Baden, August 2026; press photo: Helga Waess |
This is not the first time Rehberger’s work has appeared in the spa town of Baden-Baden
It began in 2001, when the Kunsthalle Baden-Baden dedicated a solo exhibition to him. In 2009, he installed a sculpture in the Kunsthalle café—a piece that had previously been honored with the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale.
For the "kunst findet stadt" (Art Finds the City) initiative, Tobias Rehberger has created an exhibition trail winding through Baden-Baden’s spa gardens (*Kurgarten*)
The route begins at an entrance gate within the colonnades, heading toward the Kurhaus and leading visitors to several different stations. The gate’s architecture features illuminated lettering displaying the phrase "In two days, tomorrow will already be yesterday" in Arabic script—a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Colorful neon works in the colonnade shop windows catch visitors' eyes; there are freestanding sculptures from the "Rauch" (Smoke) series, as well as additional works in the spa park pavilion and the Trinkhalle, where the fountain sculpture *The Unexpected Life of a Discontent Boy* brings a smile to people's faces.
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| "Rauch" (Smoke)—for these pieces, Rehberger used 3D models from the internet as a basis and illuminated them. When night falls, the "Smoke" sculptures glow in Baden-Baden’s spa gardens; press photo: Helga Waess (August 2026) |
Visitors enter the impressive historic hall and—following their noses—spot the enormous face of a clown figure in the distance: a self-portrait of the artist. Clown noses on the walls and the sculpture’s dripping nose hint at the connection to the town's healing waters. And for anyone who has ever wondered what art looks like from behind, walking around the sculpture—which, incidentally, was 3D-printed and then hand-painted—reveals that the front is almost like the back, but not quite.
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| Portrait bust "Clown"—the artist's self-portrait—a fountain sculpture by Tobias Rehberger in the historic *Wandelhalle* (promenade hall) of the Baden-Baden spa gardens. The nose drips, accompanied by a warning: "Not drinking water!" More noses emerge from the walls... so, just follow your nose... (Press photo: Helga Waess – August 2026) |
In Baden-Baden, the "kunst findet stadt" (Art Takes Place in the City) initiative brings art directly to its visitors
The colorful archway invites visitors to stand beneath it and have their photo taken. It is hard to find a moment when no one is standing there. The illuminated smoke sculptures are also photographed by visitors and shared with the world; in this way, art extends beyond the spa town itself and finds its way to the people.
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| Aus der Ferne leuchtet der Rauch im Pavillon im Kurgarten Baden-Baden, Foto: Helga Waess - August 2026 |
"kunst findet stadt"
Public art by Tobias Rehberger
Location: Spa Gardens (Kurgarten), Baden-Baden
Exhibition end date: September 6, 2026
Admission: Free
Guided tours available (5 euros)
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| Tobias Rehberger – Public Art – Baden-Baden, August 2026; press photo: Helga Waess |
