Benjamin Bergmann And The Art Of Subversion
- Name
- Benjamin Bergmann
- Words
- Anna Dorothea Ker
What can a single object teach us about our perception of reality? When it comes to the work of Munich-based artist, Benjamin Bergmann, the answer is a copious amount — each lesson delivered with lightness and subversiveness, leaving open as many questions as the answers it points towards.
From replica Venetian tourist kiosk fronting a fake sea in Germany to basketball hoops installed in impossible places, Bergmann’s works are both accessible yet deeply embedded with meaning. Intrigued to get an insight into the mind behind the work, we went behind the scenes to profile the prolific German artist in his Munich studio.
Born in Würzburg, German in 1968, Bergmann trained as a woodcarver before embarking on his artistic career, studying at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. The consideration of material and form demanded of his initial course of study is apparent throughout his work today. Attention-grabbing and aesthetically pleasing, his sculptures, installations of objects invite the viewer into a dialogue that demands a re-assessment of what we consider to be real.
In addition to his participation in a wide range of international exhibitions, including “Le Nouveau Bureau”, Quartier des Spectacle, Montreal (2013) and “A Perfect Match” at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2016), Bergmann has been the recipient of the Bavarian Art Sponsorship Award in 2002 and the VHV Artist of the Year 2011. In 2015, he was Artist in Residence at the German Center of Studies at the Palazzo Barbarin.
