Olaf Metzel

Olaf Metzel (b. 1952, Berlin) is a German sculptor known for his provocative public installations and critical engagement with socio-political issues. His work draws on media, architecture, sport, and history to reflect the tensions of contemporary life, often provoking strong public reaction.

Educated at the Freie Universität and the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, Metzel has been a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich since 1990, serving as principal from 1995 to 1999.

He rose to prominence with 13.4.81 (1987), a controversial installation of stacked police barriers referencing a violent protest sparked by misinformation about a hunger-striking RAF member. Intended as a reflection on media and public response, the work was misinterpreted as politically incendiary, vandalized, and removed—cementing Metzel’s reputation as a confrontational and politically engaged artist.

Metzel’s practice, which he describes as “Living Context,” often incorporates everyday materials—crash barriers, sports equipment, furniture—reframed to comment on nationalism, violence, leisure, and collective memory. He frequently stages works in urban or contested spaces, blurring lines between public art, protest, and sculpture.

Recent exhibitions include Livie Fine Art (Zurich), Wentrup (Berlin), Galerie Klüser (Munich), and the Pinakothek der Moderne (Munich). Metzel lives and works in Munich.