Project

Aliens figure group receives long-lasting corrosion protection through hot-dip galvanising.

duroZINQ hot-dip galvanising of a sculpture measuring approx. 1.80 m x 1.50 m. The Aliens, a group of figures consisting of three different „types“, thus join the ranks of hot-dip galvanised works of art by the art blacksmith and metal sculptor Heinz Schäpers.

Realisation

In September 2020, the figures at the ZINQ site in Essen were immersed in the molten zinc. The original plan was to create a stable group of figures made of steel 3 to 10 mm thick, using leftover pieces from completed orders or objects, and to leave the unintended embossments on the surfaces to demonstrate the struggle with the material, making the transitions appear not fluid, but rather bumpy, angular, rustic and coarse. In order to finally complete the group of sculptures in steel, Schäpers deviated from the original idea, used 10 mm sheet steel instead of leftovers, and instead of a volumetrically designed group of figures, concentrated on a flat-surfaced object.