“I caught the brown bear a few times when I was a kid. He was always the highlight of my butterfly collection. Almost exotic, like a hummingbird. After that I never saw him again. He is long since on the red list, a symbol for the merciless destruction of nature. But that summer, oh wonder, after decades, I saw him again in my brother-in-law’s garden. I could hardly believe it, it was more gratifying than winning the lottery. For what good is the largest garden to me if there are no more butterflies? At that time I would have simply skewered it and put it to sleep with ether. But I don’t do that anymore. So, to show it to you, I’ve carved it, like a fake.
That’s the thing about truth, it’s relative or subjective. Even in art. The real work of art doesn’t exist, I think. It always depends on the person. It must have been created before the big bang. So art is always an approximation or imitation of reality. But still: Just as a dummy wasp nest prevents real wasps from building a nest nearby, so art can perhaps protect us from many a life’s ills.
Peter Sauerer
Opening Wednesday, November 6, 7 pm
Event
artist talk Thursday, 21 November 2019, 7 p.m. Peter Sauerer in conversation with Hanneke Heinemann
The book Peter Sauerer is published to accompany the exhibition. Black Box by Icon Verlag, Munich.
7 November – 14 December 2019
“I caught the brown bear a few times when I was a kid. He was always the highlight of my butterfly collection. Almost exotic, like a hummingbird. After that I never saw him again. He is long since on the red list, a symbol for the merciless destruction of nature. But that summer, oh wonder, after decades, I saw him again in my brother-in-law’s garden. I could hardly believe it, it was more gratifying than winning the lottery. For what good is the largest garden to me if there are no more butterflies? At that time I would have simply skewered it and put it to sleep with ether. But I don’t do that anymore. So, to show it to you, I’ve carved it, like a fake.
That’s the thing about truth, it’s relative or subjective. Even in art. The real work of art doesn’t exist, I think. It always depends on the person. It must have been created before the big bang. So art is always an approximation or imitation of reality. But still: Just as a dummy wasp nest prevents real wasps from building a nest nearby, so art can perhaps protect us from many a life’s ills.
Peter Sauerer
Opening
Wednesday, November 6, 7 pm
Event
artist talk
Thursday, 21 November 2019, 7 p.m.
Peter Sauerer in conversation with Hanneke Heinemann
The book Peter Sauerer is published to accompany the exhibition. Black Box by Icon Verlag, Munich.
www.petersauerer.de