Alexander Laner
His spectacular works have given Alexander Laner the reputation of being an “action artist.” He sees himself, however, as a classical sculptor who is concerned with sculpture in a wider sense. Trained as a stonemason and a producer of signs and advertisements, he used freight containers in 2002 with “Akademie”, his graduation project, to reproduce the building of the Munich Art Academy on a scale of 1:2. From this project, which could only be seen for five hours, there remains only a single photo, a situation, which emphasizes the ephemeral character of many of the artist’s works.
Laner’s versatility was demonstrated a year later when, in his debut exhibition, he made public the restoration of his Mercedes coupé. Together with a Polish welder he worked on his automobile in the large hall of the Art Academy and thereby drew attention, not only to the process-related aspect of his work, but also to the communication between artist and craftsman. Thus social, political or even economic themes and interpretations play an important subsidiary role in the art of Alexander Laner. In all his works, improvisation is an important formal element, so that they often take on the charming ease of chance happening. Recent works such as “Der Plattenspieler”, in which a powerful motor drives a tiny record player and causes a record with music by Chopin to be played, demonstrate a fascinating disproportion between effort and outcome which, in general, imbues his works with a cheerful yet distressing character.
Frank-Thorsten Moll
 Text in Danish (PDF)
In collaboration with Galerie Bernd Klüser, Munich (Germany) www.galerieklueser.com
|
|
| |
|
| available works |
Mit Leichtem Gepäck, solo exhibition 2008  |
| biography (PDF) |
works |
| |
|
|
works
 |
|
Roger Ballen (US/ZA)
Thomas Bangsted (DK/US)
Claus Carstensen
Ib Geertsen
James Jessop (UK)
Alexander Laner (D)
Marie Søndergaard Lolk
Henrik Menné
Mogens Møller
Mie Mørkeberg
Allan Otte
Krista Rosenkilde
Jeffrey Silverthorne (US)
Christian Skeel
Anna Sørensen
Christian Vind |
| |
Alexander Laner
230 CE
2004
The restoration of a golden Mercedes in the aula at the Academie der bildenden Künste München
|
|
|
left:
Alexander Laner
Untitled
2006
lebkuchen
ca. 30 x 30 x 2 cm
edition 5
right:
Alexander Laner
Für Elise
2007
pre-fab materials
ca. 150 x 170 x 150 cm |
|
|
Alexander Laner
Plattenspieler
2005
steel, car engine, pick-up, amplifier
0,95 x 105 x 150 cm
Gallery view from group exhibition HÜBEN WIE DRÜBEN, Galleri Tom Christoffersen, January 2007 |
 |
|
Alexander Laner
Akademie
2004
Photo on dibond
120 x 202 cm |
 |
|
Alexander Laner
La Traviata
2006
bicycle, transformer, record player, record
40 x 170 x 105 cm |
|
