translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
031114: Startgalerie im MUSA: Tomasz Vollmann - Growing
Startgalerie im MUSA
Tomasz Vollmann - Growing
09.10.2014 to 06.11.2014
About the meaning of letting go
By Wolfgang Pichler
This very radical show demonstrates particularly impressively that important positions can also be shown again. Because what the artist, born 1984, stages here, namely the sale of his entire material property, was already implemented in a similar form by Florian Slotawa in 2002. Nonetheless, such actions are particularly important in an ever-increasingly spinning consumer society and therefore to be welcomed at all costs. But in Tomasz Vollmann's case, the fact is less impressive that he is offering his possessions for sale lock, stock and barrel, but much more the awareness of how astonishingly frugally this person already lives: no furniture, no crockery, a scooter self-made from a branch, sleeping accommodation made from a pink camping mat. When one looks in peace and quiet at all the accurately positioned and mounted objects in the gallery, one becomes aware of the dominance of purposeless things commonly displayed as art. Here is an impressive example that one can live contentedly with extremely little materialistic possessions and without one's own apartment, beyond religion and asceticism. Here, it's the conscious handling of things that surround us that fascinate us most. The radical reflection of oneself, which is otherwise only to be found in spiritual contexts, here becomes actual art behind the objects. However, such an approach really fails through the fact that there have to be other people who provide all these things whose possession is relinquished here. Getting this impression makes this show exciting and points out that, foremost, we are social beings.
However, as is often the case, the real flaw is that this concept is not explained here and thus not clear to the public. For the casual visitor, the exhibition remains a collection of objects which are up for sale. The fact that some objects have their own inimitable allure and function wonderfully as independent art works makes this exhibition commendable.
Stargalerie im MUSA
1010 Wien, Felderstraße 6-8, beside the Town Hall
Tel: +43 (0)1 4000 8400
E-mail: musa@musa.at
http://www.musa.at
Opening hours: Tue, Wed, Fri: 11:00 - 18:00; Thu 11:00 - 20:00; Sat 11:00 - 16:00 hours
031114
Startgalerie im MUSA
1010 Wien, Felderstraße 6-8, neben dem Rathaus
Tel: +43 1 4000 8400, Fax: +43 1 4000-99-8400
Email: musa@musa.at
http://www.musa.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di, Mi, Fr 11-18, Do 11-20, Sa 11-16 h
Startgalerie im MUSA
1010 Wien, Felderstraße 6-8, neben dem Rathaus
Tel: +43 1 4000 8400, Fax: +43 1 4000-99-8400
Email: musa@musa.at
http://www.musa.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di, Mi, Fr 11-18, Do 11-20, Sa 11-16 h