Newsletter summer 2021
Is it possible to drop a VW Golf into an oversized wastebasket? Or have you ever considered the similarities between Europe and a roly-poly doll? We are delighted to show you in this summer newsletter where these and other questions have led Ottmar Hörl. Enjoy reading and diving into Ottmar Hörl's multifaceted and exciting oeuvre.

"Schlamassel" [Mess] – sculpture for Bad RagARTz 2021 – 8th Swiss Triennial of Sculpture in Bad Ragaz
Themed "Distanz schärft den Blick" [Distance Sharpens our Perception], the 8th Triennial of Sculpture, Bad RagARTz, held in Bad Ragaz from 8 May to 31 October 2021, features around four hundred sculptures by some eighty artists from across the globe. The Stiftung Schweizerische Triennale der Skulptur foundation, established by Rolf and Esther Hohmeister, is committed to bringing art to the people – out of the museums into the open to make people socialise. Ottmar Hörl's contribution goes back to a sculptural idea from fifteen years ago that has been realised now for this international open-air exhibition. His sculpture of a VW Golf that got stuck in an oversized wastebasket is known by the title of "Schlamassel" [Mess] – alluding to the dead end in which the car and the industry behind it seem trapped in many ways. 

> Click here for further information:

Sculpture of "Europa" © Ottmar Hörl, Photo Koppelstätter Media

"Europa" sculptural installation, Europa-Park, Rust, 2 July to end of October 2021

To mark the 100th birthday of Franz Mack, the founder of the Europa-Park theme park, Ottmar Hörl was invited to develop a sculptural installation featuring a huge number of golden "Europa" figures. The serial sculptures in the shape of roly-poly dolls are a new definition of the Europa, making clear the ambiguity of the figure as well as of the European confederation, and pointing up the ability of both to rise again from any situation.

Sculpture of "Europa" © Ottmar Hörl, Photo Koppelstätter Media

At the same time, the figure is also a symbol of the hope that that which has lost its balance can rise again. The installation is on show at Europa-Park in Rust, at the end of "Deutsche Allee", from 2 July until the end of October.

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"LEBEN IM KRIEG" [Life in Times of War]
Historisches Museum Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe
Philippsruher Allee 45
63454 Hanau
Germany
Extended to 27 March 2022
https://www.hanau.de/sehenswert/museen/index.html

"BLÜHSTREIFEN-ZWISCHEN TRAUM UND ZAUN" [Wildflower Strip -Between Dream and Fence]
Erfurter Kunstverein
Kunsthalle
Fischmarkt 7
99084 Erfurt
Germany
4 July to October 2021
https://kunstmuseen.erfurt.de

© Indang Museum, Jo yeong ha

"Coexistence - 공존" solo exhibition, Indang Museum, Daegu (Korea), 2021
Since 13 May, the Indang Museum at Daegu Health College (Korea) has been showing a large solo exhibition featuring some seven hundred works by Ottmar Hörl, a collaboration with Galerie Bode. The title, "Coexistence", refers to the potential in societies to respect and endure differences and being able to recognise them as a mutual enrichment. At the same time, and despite all the differences, the question of what connects people is taken into account.

© Indang Museum, Jo yeong ha

The individual exhibition rooms of the museum were curated based on different topics. Ottmar Hörl developed the serial sculpture of the "Nightingale" specially for the Indang Museum, which is affiliated to the Health College. The exhibition shown at the Indang Museum offered a deep and variegated insight into the artist's complex oeuvre, making it the first truly comprehensive presentation of his work in Asia.

"Ottmar Hörl - Fotokonzepte" [Ottmar Hörl – Photo Concepts]. Exhibition at Galerie Bode, Nuremberg
As part of this year's photo festival, the Nuremberg-based Galerie Bode presented an exhibition of photo concepts by Ottmar Hörl from 1 to 22 May. These art works guide the onlooker's view to unusual perspectives and image details, highlighting the fact that the images on show are not solely based on familiar methods of photography: Hörl returns control over the image to the machine which generates images on its own, shot from unknown angles, for example in free fall or mounted on a wheel. In this way, the camera can capture images under changed physical conditions that a human being would never be able to produce.

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"Fluid" solo exhibiton at Venet-Haus, Galerie II, Ulm, 18/19 June 2021
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, art lovers were not able to visit the "Fluid" exhibition held at Ulm's Venet-Haus gallery as planned. However, they were allowed to catch a glimpse of a cross section of Ottmar Hörl's current work. The title, "Fluid", alludes to the creative process as such. A selection of the artist's recent work was presented.

"2000 m Above Sea Level. Vorarlberg, Silvretta and Art", Bregenz, 2021
From March to June 2021, the Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz presented in its Atrium an exhibition entitled "2000 m Above Sea Level. Vorarlberg, Silvretta and Art". Three Matterhorn sculptures created by Ottmar Hörl were on show in the "Replica of an Idol" section. Hörl's deliberate reference to the well-known saying, "Berge versetzen" [Moving Mountains], is an allusion to the potential that is also inherent in art.

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"Beethoven Road Novel" travelling installation, Russia, 2020/2021

In June, the travelling installation featuring Ottmar Hörl's Beethoven sculptures ended at Moscow's Sokolniki Park where they were sold at auction in support of the Sound Up festival of new music. This extraordinary project was launched by the National Tourist Office of Germany in Russia, with the support of the German Embassy in Moscow, the Goethe Institute, and the airline Utair. Géza Andreas von Geyr, the German ambassador in Moscow, praised the travelling installation as one of the best projects presented during the Russian Year of Germany. The sculptures travelled thousands of kilometres across Russia, were on display during events held on the occasion of Beethoven's anniversary, and were accompanied by influencers who shared extraordinary pictures of the different stages of their trip under the hashtag #DiscoverBeethoven.

> Weitere Details zur Ausstellung finden Sie hier:

Optimism to Go

A smaller version of the popular "Optimist" sculpture is available here as a blue or red keyring pendant:

> Optimism to Go in our shop:

Sightseeing – Worldview Model keyring pendant

Another keyring pendant for your pocket is Worldview Model III, available in different colours:

> Sightseeing in our shop

Since 22 July 2021, the City of Pocking has been presenting an installation featuring Optimist sculptures. Find out more from our website.

Enjoy a lovely summer with your families.

Stay healthy and happy!