At 84 years old, German sculptor Guido Messer continues to transform his political and social frustrations into powerful bronze sculptures from his studio in Tuscany. For 45 years, the freelance artist has been creating works that serve as sharp critiques of contemporary society, with his refrigerator currently storing four wax toads and a wax head of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
In his sweltering Tuscan workshop, Messer hunches over his workbench under a neon lamp, carefully shaping another wax toad with a scalpel. The small man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a casual short-sleeved shirt and Birkenstock sandals, explains his latest project: an "Unken-Depot" featuring 18 fire-bellied toads arranged on a three-tiered podium. The piece serves as an allegory for climate change and species extinction, as these amphibians are among the first to suffer from environmental degradation.
Messer's workspace reflects decades of artistic dedication, with wax remnants stacked on his worktable and an old pharmacist's cabinet behind him filled with tools including files, pliers, brushes, chisels, and cords. Every sculpture he creates carries embedded social criticism, driven by his deep unease with the current state of the world and his desire to catalyze change through art.
The recurring theme of the "hollow human" appears throughout Messer's body of work, representing indistinguishable types of managers or politicians who rule without listening. Many of his sculptures depict authority figures including politicians, scientists, and wealthy citizens. He is currently working on a testosterone-fueled sculpture titled "Muskelpiel" (Muscle Game), reminiscent of figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump. One notable work in his sculpture garden shows scientists' heads with yellow bow ties and sunglasses, cast in bronze and vertically cut through the middle with slight offsets. While appearing whole from the front, the sculptures reveal their inner emptiness when viewed from the side.
Messer's artistic scope extends beyond individual figures to address broader societal issues ranging from industrialized sex and media stupefaction to current wars. He has been a freelance sculptor since the early 1980s, when he and his wife Ruth Martha Messer purchased their house near the small Italian mountain village of Sassetta. Their move to Italy was primarily motivated by interest in Renaissance sculpture and Italian artistic heritage.
The couple's stone farmhouse, though old and in need of renovation, exudes rustic charm with its brick floors, creaking wooden planks, and peeling plaster walls. A small wooden table sits before the fireplace, often adorned with Ruth's freshly baked plum cake. Initially, the Messers split their time equally between Italy and Korb near Stuttgart, Germany, believing this dual education would benefit their children culturally and academically.
After elementary school, the family temporarily relocated to Germany to provide better musical education opportunities for their children, which were unavailable in the rural Italian setting. Since their children moved out, however, the Messers have returned to their annual migration pattern, spending February through October in Italy before returning to cold Germany. Despite the winter chill in the Italian mountain village and the lack of insulation in their stone house, they consider this lifestyle a privilege that breaks routine monotony and creates anticipation for each location.
Messer maintains fully equipped workshops in both locations, surrounded by olive and hazelnut trees, fig and plum trees, bamboo, cypresses, and palms in his Italian garden. Upon closer inspection, sculptures by Messer and fellow stone sculptors emerge from the landscape, many now intertwined with nature as trees, ivy, and sun have left their marks on the artworks. As a nature enthusiast, Messer observes buzzards and bee-eaters in his garden and recognizes every animal sound thanks to his hearing aid, which he needs due to years of working with power tools before proper ear protection was widely available.
The physical demands of sculpture work mirror Messer's philosophical approach to life. He climbs ladders to harvest hazelnuts, meticulously shells them by hand, and lays them on tarps to dry in front of the farmhouse. "The squirrel feeds itself laboriously," he says with a laugh. "But I'm a freelance artist – I know how it is." The work remains time and resource-intensive, with high material costs, elaborate production processes, and a limited art market making it difficult to survive on sculpture alone.
Traditional sculptural crafts are becoming increasingly rare as digital art forms and design careers grow, leading many to consider sculpture a dying profession. While Messer comes from a different era, significant money was never possible through sculpture alone. The couple still pays off their farmhouse in installments, and his pension remains modest, yet Messer feels no pressure. "Stress? Doesn't exist. But weekends don't either," he explains while filing a small figure in his workshop.
His current project includes "Zickezacke-Männchen" (Zick-Zack Little Men) – small figures with hidden swastikas in their heads that appear amusing at first glance but carry a serious warning about the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The figures reference the Nazi marching song "Zickezacke, Zickezacke, Heu! Heu! Heu!" which also spread through sports and drinking culture. Nearby lies a negative mold of Alexei Navalny's head, part of Messer's "Memento Navalny" project – a memorial stele for the Russian opposition leader planned for installation next year on Korber Kopf, a mountain in the municipality of Korb near Stuttgart.
For 20 years, Ruth and Guido Messer have organized the sculpture trail "Köpfe am Korber Kopf" (Heads at Korber Kopf) in their home community. Each year, ten locations are allocated – seven to professional artists and three to schools or associations. The sculptures explore various interpretations of "heads" and remain in place for one year, with Messer contributing a work annually. This year's 19th edition operates under the theme "Recycling."
Inspiration never eludes Messer, who listens to radio throughout the day, reads newspapers, and stays informed about social media trends and feminism. All of this provides material for new works and brings him joy. "When I have my work and am satisfied with it, everything else can go to hell," he says contentedly. His fundamental requirement remains simple: "It has to be fun. Otherwise, you can forget it." At 84, he dismisses any notion of slowing down: "Not being fit anymore is not an option. I still have too much to do." He throws his hands in the air and laughs: "I'm alive, I'm alive!"
