Olaf Metzel (*1952 inBerlin) is one of the most important contemporary German sculptors. His works for public space are explicit critiques of politics and society, and always attract a great deal of attention. 13.04.1981, consisting of piles of road barriers, is probably his most famous work—created in 1987, it makes reference to the 1981 Berlin riots triggered by a false report of the death of RAF prisoner Sigurd Debus. The sculpture was fiercely protested, so much so that the Berlin Senate finally ordered that it be dismantled. Metzel’s 2006 sculpture Turkish Delight depicts a female nude wearing a headscarf, and is a reflection on the controversy between Occidental and Islamic cultures; on exhibit on Vienna’s Karlsplatz, it was the target of vandalism and consequently had to be removed.Featuring essays by expert authors and the artist’s own commentary on his work, as well as sketches and models that provide insight into the way the sculptures develop, this volume is a profound survey of Olaf Metzel’s public works from 1982 to 2007.