Superkraut

Tim Bengel

Summary

We created a large-format stainless steel sculpture and a series of smaller works for Tim Bengel's Superkraut. Our services included WAAM 3D printing, complete mechanical post-processing and polishing of all sculptures. From the individual piece in the public space to the series, we accompanied the project through all stages of production.

Services

Design, production and assembly

Project manager

Pascal Bargon

Client

Tim Bengel

Year

2024

Pointed cabbage and planning view Superkraut sculpture, 2023, Photo: Arnold AG

A stainless steel cabbage in the urban space

An unusual object made of stainless steel has stood at the rear of the StadtPalais Stuttgart since 2024: Tim Bengel's super cabbage is around 2.5 meters high, weighs around 520 kilograms and its shape is reminiscent of a grown pointed cabbage.
Printed using the WAAM process, layer by layer, the sculpture took around 130 hours to create. This was followed by many days of manual work. Only after polishing over a further 280 hours did the surface take on its calm, almost organic effect.

Close-up of the sculpture during production in our hall, 2023, Photo: Arnold AG

Shape, surface and the traces of printing

Up close, it becomes clear how strongly the work is characterized by the natural structure of the filder cabbage. The individual layers that form over the years as a cabbage grows are reflected in the surface of the sculpture. Lines, transitions and slight irregularities have been deliberately preserved and not subsequently smoothed out. They tell of the creation process and the structure of the form.

It is precisely these traces that give the stainless steel a special depth. The material loses its technical rigor and takes on an organic quality. Depending on the incidence of light, the effect of the surface changes, sometimes calm and closed, sometimes lively and moving. This creates a closeness that you would not expect from metal and invites you to stop and take a closer look.

Insight into the welding process of the sculpture, 2023, Photo: Arnold AG

View of the finished sculpture, 2024, Photo: Pascal Bargon, Arnold AG

Tim Bengel's Superkraut opening at Museum StadtPalais, Stuttgart, 2024, Video: Ron Zander, Arnold AG

A motif with regional significance

In terms of content, the super herb is a deliberate regional homage to the plateau south of Stuttgart and to a product that has been part of everyday life here for generations. The Filderkraut is not a decorative still life, but a symbol of origin, down-to-earthness and regional culture. Many people associate it with memories of cooking, market stalls or fields on the outskirts of the city. It is precisely this proximity that makes the motif so accessible.

Thanks to its location between the museum and the street, the sculpture becomes part of the everyday cityscape. Passers-by encounter it casually, without an explanatory plaque or threshold. Passers-by stumble over it in the best sense of the word and stop for a moment. In this way, the work also reaches people who otherwise do not specifically seek out art locations. The Superkraut thus functions not only as a sculpture, but also as a quiet conversation starter about origins, regional values and what we take for granted.

Behind the scenes - insights into our production, video: Ron Zander, Arnold AG

The first series on a smaller scale

Parallel to the large work, a series of smaller superweed sculptures was created. The first series measures around 390 millimeters in height and weighs around 6.5 kilograms. Depending on the workload, the printing times were between five and seven hours per piece, with polishing taking around eight hours. A total of 30 units were produced.

The series was supplemented by three larger versions with a height of 590 millimeters and a weight of around 15 kilograms. The printing time here was around 12.5 hours, the polishing around ten hours. Despite the different sizes, the design language remained identical. Each sculpture looks familiar and yet independent - similar to cabbage heads in the field, which never look quite the same.

Our warmest congratulations go to all enthusiastic art collectors who are lucky enough to be able to call one of these extraordinary cabbages their own! You now own a truly unique work of art from a strictly limited edition - each one individually engraved with your name on the base and personally signed by Tim Bengel.

We would especially like to thank Tim Bengel, a young, up-and-coming artist whose creativity and fresh perspective have had a decisive influence on us.