Man walking to the sky, Kassel

Man walking to the sky is a sculpture by US artist Jonathan Borofsky. The figure stands on the forecourt of the Kulturbahnhof Kassel. The "sky striker", as the sculpture is called by the citizens of Kassel, was designed by Borofsky for documenta IX in 1992. The production costs amounted to about 70,000 German marks.

The artwork consists of a steel tube 25 meters high and 50 centimeters in diameter, set at an angle of inclination of 63°. At about the beginning of the last third of the tube is attached a painted fiberglass figure depicting a man walking briskly skyward with confident steps. He wears a purple T-shirt and yellow pants.

During documenta IX, the sculpture stood on Friedrichsplatz. The city of Kassel purchased the figure after the end of the exhibition, as it was very well received by the citizens of Kassel. For them, the figure symbolized a positive, upward development of their city. The purchase price of 690,000 D-Mark was financed by donations. For a short time, the Himmelsstürmer stood on the Platz der Deutschen Einheit in the Unterneustadt district, before being placed in its current location in front of the Kulturbahnhof.

Borofsky says he is unhappy with the location of the sculpture and the way it was placed. In his opinion, the sky striker should be placed in a park on a hill outside the city. He is also bothered by the fact that mounting bolts and the sculpture's triangular base plate are visible. This, Borofsky says, detracts from the lightness of the installation he intended.

The female counterpart of the same design Woman walking to the sky is in Strasbourg.