Between the installation and the marquee
In the region around Chemnitz, in Central Saxony, the Ore Mountains and the Zwickau area, a varied programme awaits those interested: featuring walks, music, festivals, guided tours of the art installations, discussions with artists, workshops and events in public spaces.
The weekend offers the chance to rediscover both art and the region. From installations to church squares, from meadow paths to marquees, encounters
and conversations about local history and contemporary art, opening up new perspectives on them. Over three days, Chemnitz and the 38 local authorities along the Purple Path offer numerous opportunities for excursions to artworks, cultural highlights and picturesque landscapes.
A particular highlight this weekend is ‘Tiefenzeit’ by Philipp Frank, an internationally renowned light and landscape artist. His site-specific installations combine light, sound and nature to create immersive spaces of experience and have been realised in Europe, Asia and the Himalayas, amongst other places. At the Geyersche Binge, Philipp Frank transforms the rock formation into a walk-in resonance chamber of light and sound; “Tiefenzeit” was designed specifically for this site. The installation can only be experienced during the Purple Path weekend on these three evenings, from 8 pm to midnight each night.
The Chemnitz Zwickau Region Tourism Association (Tourismusverband Chemnitz Zwickau Region e. V.) is offering additional coach tours to the Purple Path on 12 and 13 September. These tours last four hours each and visit various artworks. They depart at 1 pm from Richard-Tauber-Straße. Bookings can be made via the Chemnitz Tourist Information Centre on 0371 690680 or at www.chemnitz.travel.
Art that tells a story
The Purple Path art and sculpture trail tells the story of a region shaped by mining and industry, exploitation and profit, but also by traditions of innovation, craftsmanship and solidarity. Works by renowned contemporary artists such as James Turrell, Leiko Ikemura and Tony Cragg engage in a dialogue with this history and unfold in public spaces: on industrial wastelands, at railway stations, along riverbanks or in the still waters of a millrace. They complement agricultural and textile museums, and interweave with castles and old churches, their organs and their art.
As one of the major projects of Chemnitz 2025, European Capital of Culture, the Purple Path is a permanent installation. During the 2025 Capital of Culture year, it brought Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region together through public art, and will continue to invite people to rediscover this shared cultural space in the future.