The unveiling of Alexander Polzin's, Hommage à Paul Celan by the Mayor of Paris

At 3pm on 31 May, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo will unveil Alexander Polzin's sculpture Hommage à Paul Celan in Paris in the presence of Eric Celan, the poet's son. Seventeen years after starting on the project, Polzin's bronze monument to the greatest German language poet of the second half of the twentieth century will be unveiled in the Anne Frank Garden. After the unveiling there will be a reception at the Institut d'études avancées, 17 quai d'Anjou, Paris 75004 with speakers Christoph König and Krzysztof Pomian. To attend please email: gallery@maestroarts.com

With the support of many key art historians and important cultural figures (from both France and Germany) the sculpture is a symbol of tolerance for and among the city's multiracial, multi-religious, and multicultural communities. Paul Celan experienced the concentration camps, losing both his parents during the holocaust. He spent half of his life in Paris and was naturalised French in 1955.  He produced most of his work there, teaching German language and literature at L'École Normale Supérieure. He ended his life in the Seine on April 20, 1970.