The Scottish poet and sculptor Ian Hamilton Finlay, born 1925, is one of today's foremost artists. In his work, Finlay addresses historic events, such as the French Revolution or the Second World War, which have become bearers of different and sometimes contrasting meaning for him. These issues are also expressed in his outdoor installations from the 70s onwards. In his famous garden of Little Sparta at Stonypath in the countryside south- west of Edinburgh, Finlay has gradually transformed an old farm into a sculpture park where image and language merge, linking history, art history and literature in an ideal cosmos of sculptures, architectural artefacts and inscriptions. Werner Hannappel has systematically documented the "Outdoor Sculptures" of Ian Hamilton Finlay, and his photographs in his books present a panorama in which sculpture, landscape and architecture become one fascinating whole.