Paweł Althamer

Paweł Althamer ( born May 12, 1967 in Warsaw) is a Polish artist whose works are attributed to the genres of sculpture, performance, video art and installation. He now lives in Warsaw. His works have achieved since the early 90s canonical status in the three-dimensional art. They are still a part of important exhibitions and publications.

Sculpture as Self-Portrait

Althamers 1988-1993 studies at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, earned him a degree in the art sculpture. In his thesis he created in the mimetic accurate self-portrait Paweł Althamer even when up to a pair of glasses naked human figure standing on a thin Plinte parquet wood floor, similar to the many gallery and exhibition floors. They probably should replace his presence, as he was not, as usual, attended the presentation. In the room there was a video that Althamer shows how he left the academy into the woods, where he gets involved with the naked nature.

From 2002 the work Self Portrait and Portrait of the Artist's Wife (178 x 60 x 60 cm) stems, which also shows nude standing figures on a Holzplinte. On a metal frame, various organic materials were applied: grass, plant fibers, animal grazing Inge, mother of pearl and hair. The surface is made up of different materials with different textures together, so that the " skin " of the figures, different structures, the color, however, consists of similar red - and yellow-brown earth tones. The male figure is holding a camcorder as if she would film something on the ground, and the female figure lowers his head and looks to the ground. Everyday objects such as a glass of tea, the camera, a pair of glasses and a cell phone are added to the nude figures.

Nature and Public Space

Ścieżka ( German path) was created in 2007 as part of the Sculpture Projects Münster. On Aa Althamer left a trail across country from the outskirts occur in nature. At the end of the path is the path -goers after a few miles in front of a barley field again. The idea comes from the behavior of Polish citizens on public roads, the observed Althamer in his homeland. He is going to call the work to reflect the meaning and logic of such prescribed ways.

Real-time movies

First 2000 at the Manifesta in Ljubljana instructed Althamer paid extras to simulate everyday activities in public space (Real Time Movies is de name of the principle ). At a reading in Warsaw in 2001, he invited the audience to take a walk, which she unsuspectingly led past such " real-time scenes ." The walkers were then given road maps, in which the scenes were drawn provided. In Pittsburgh, he was participating with Peter Fonda in 2004 the first prominent American actor on such a real-time film. There was Jew Law, who played in London in 2007 a ​​man who buys fish.

Exhibitions

From 18 October 2011 to 16 January 2012, the exhibition was held at the Deutsche Guggenheim Almech held, in which the strands performance and sculpture were linked together, the exhibition then went into the Museion in Bolzano. The Goetz Collection shows in the second half of 2012, a retrospective exhibition in Munich. 2012/13 is Althamer gold rush in the group exhibition. gegenwartskunst from, represented with gold or at the Kunsthalle Nürnberg.

Trivia

The project Spring, in which Althamer can make the Kassel Kunsthalle children with the exhibition rooms, what they feel like there is on Youtube as a video.

Awards

• 2004 The Vincent van Gogh Biennial Award for Contemporary Art in Europe
• 2010 Art Prize of Aachen
• 2013 KAIROS Prize

Selected Literature

• Michael Krajewski: Museum of our Wishes - Museum Ludwig Cologne, Bonn 2001.
• Przywara Andrzej: A director of reality, 1997.
• Przywara Andrzej: In Freedom - at last. Polish art after 1989, 1997.
• Adam Szymczyk The annotated Althamer, 2002.