Björn Dahlem
09 Jun - 31 Jul 2010
BJÖRN DAHLEM
“The Magic Mountain”
09.06.10 - 31.07.10
Some notes on the exhibition by Björn Dahlem, at the Kunstraum Innsbruck, entitled “The Magic Mountain”:
The artist has turned scientist, the studio has become a lab, the work itself has turned into a model, the curator is but a third-hand observer, the exhibition room an institute of knowledge, and the visitors are the apprentices. Dahlem’s art recombines the “knowledge of the world” with the aspirations of a scientific test set-up. At the same time, the work is surrounded by the formally deconstructed and counter-caricatured nimbus of a pseudo science.
Dahlem’s works constitute artificial, figurative constructs of his thinking processes, and it is hard to resist their special power. He creates a curiosity cabinet, as it were, while the use of cheap materials for creating his “demonstration objects” subverts the scientific façade with a portion of irony. The artist functions as a shaman and his art represents the healing elixir of his spiritual inspiration. Or is it just a mirage, a trick, and are we just deceived by the illusion’s luster? Dahlem’s playing field is the twilight zone between reality, illusion and irony. And this is what makes his work so very convincing.
For the Kunstraum Innsbruck, Björn Dahlem has conceived an extensive installation entitled “The Magic Mountain.” In an e-mail, the artist explained as follows:
“The exhibition title will be ‘The Magic Mountain.’ A central constituent of the show shall be a mountain made of polystyrene. I imagine this mountain as having a beautiful, floating, round aura. It shall be accompanied by about four glass cases. The exhibition title echoes the title of the novel by Thomas Mann, which is one of my favourite books. There aren’t really any direct references, though. What I’m after is a certain atmospheric kinship, a sense of isolation and secrecy. To me, the magic mountain is an other-worldly and timeless place. And that’s how I picture the exhibition, very white, with a certain snowy atmosphere thanks to all the polystyrene and the many white walls. And, standing out against this white background, there shall be a few delicate, filigree sculptures (...)”
Stefan Bidner, curator
“The Magic Mountain”
09.06.10 - 31.07.10
Some notes on the exhibition by Björn Dahlem, at the Kunstraum Innsbruck, entitled “The Magic Mountain”:
The artist has turned scientist, the studio has become a lab, the work itself has turned into a model, the curator is but a third-hand observer, the exhibition room an institute of knowledge, and the visitors are the apprentices. Dahlem’s art recombines the “knowledge of the world” with the aspirations of a scientific test set-up. At the same time, the work is surrounded by the formally deconstructed and counter-caricatured nimbus of a pseudo science.
Dahlem’s works constitute artificial, figurative constructs of his thinking processes, and it is hard to resist their special power. He creates a curiosity cabinet, as it were, while the use of cheap materials for creating his “demonstration objects” subverts the scientific façade with a portion of irony. The artist functions as a shaman and his art represents the healing elixir of his spiritual inspiration. Or is it just a mirage, a trick, and are we just deceived by the illusion’s luster? Dahlem’s playing field is the twilight zone between reality, illusion and irony. And this is what makes his work so very convincing.
For the Kunstraum Innsbruck, Björn Dahlem has conceived an extensive installation entitled “The Magic Mountain.” In an e-mail, the artist explained as follows:
“The exhibition title will be ‘The Magic Mountain.’ A central constituent of the show shall be a mountain made of polystyrene. I imagine this mountain as having a beautiful, floating, round aura. It shall be accompanied by about four glass cases. The exhibition title echoes the title of the novel by Thomas Mann, which is one of my favourite books. There aren’t really any direct references, though. What I’m after is a certain atmospheric kinship, a sense of isolation and secrecy. To me, the magic mountain is an other-worldly and timeless place. And that’s how I picture the exhibition, very white, with a certain snowy atmosphere thanks to all the polystyrene and the many white walls. And, standing out against this white background, there shall be a few delicate, filigree sculptures (...)”
Stefan Bidner, curator