The Theiler Art Gallery at Buscheliweg 7 in Brienz would like to present the collection of its stone sculptures to a wider public on four open days. The approximately 280 large and small sculptures and paintings on display all originate from Zimbabwe. In this country, stone carving has been practiced on a large scale since the 60s of the last century. Because of a mine boycott against the apartheid policy of the then president Ian Smith, talented woodcarvers and other artists learned to artistically work the rocks in the spoil heaps of the mines. With great success, many of the works are now internationally known, popular and sought after. They have been presented in many famous museums and at exhibitions on all continents. Sculpture in Zimbabwe under the term Shona Art has become a living tradition, supported by many renowned and talented artists. In the Theiler Art Gallery - with a fine aperitif offered by the gallery - a large cross-section of these works can be studied and their amazingly different expressions directly compared. The immeasurable variety of rock types in Zimbabwe is the basis for the artists' scope for development. Their works testify to deep creativity and great diversity of styles.
