It was thanks to the private initiative of Tony Cragg, a British sculptor living in Wuppertal, that the Sculpture Park was founded and established. Thirty years after Cragg took up his exhibition activity, he began looking for a permanent site for presenting sculpture outdoors and discovered the abandoned Waldfrieden property, which he bought in That very same year he began redesigning the park grounds and the buildings that, after long years of vacancy, needed to be thoroughly renovated and modernized.
In appreciation of the historical estate, its former structures and material substance were preserved to the greatest extent possible, thus keeping its historical dimension intact despite the conversion of the park and buildings to accommodate their new use. All is accompanied by changing exhibitions of internationally known artists, lectures on culture and the humanities, as well as concerts.
Beyond this, the Cragg Foundation is also dedicated to research on, and the publication of, the subject of the fine arts. Tony Cragg was born in Liverpool. After graduating from school he worked as a laboratory technician in biochemical research and during this 2-year stint began drawing thus being able to successfully apply for a place at the Gloucestershire College of Art and Design in and subsequently at the Wimbledon School of Art.
In his art studies led him to the Royal College of Art in London, where he focused on sculpture. In the following year he moved to Wuppertal, the native city of his first wife and where he has lived and worked ever since.
Since , in an almost bewildering array of exhibitions, Anthony Cragg, has presented his work in renowned museums around the world. He was represented several times at the Venice Biennale and the Documenta in Kassel, as well as at the biennials of Sao Paulo and Sydney. In , he was awarded the Turner Prize. After receiving several honorary doctorates and many other eminent prizes he was created Commander of the British Empire in Considered to be one of the major present-day sculptors, he was awarded the Praemium Imperiale, the world cultural prize of the Japanese imperial court in Your Visit.
