Kunststück - Presentation display area for urban art

The "Kunststück" project, launched in 2003, was a pioneering initiative for temporary public art on a traffic island at Viehofer Platz in Essen. It was curated by local cultural figures such as Hubert Sandmann and Miriam Giessler. Over the years, the site underwent a major transformation. Located in a gritty, high-traffic urban area in Essen's northern city center, the artworks were constantly exposed to the elements, vandalism, and graffiti. Over time, this transience and the gradual modification of the pieces by the street art scene became an accepted part of the concept.

The original exhibition series of the "Kunststück" presentation area did not end on a single specific day, but rather faded out gradually. The defining wooden centerpiece on-site – the well-known "Viaduct Sculpture" by Miriam Giessler and Hubert Sandmann – was officially dismantled and removed in 2020 because it was no longer stable or structurally safe.

The physical wooden installation is gone. However, the traffic island itself remains an open urban space. Today, it is used organically by the local graffiti and street art scene without any formal curation.