Olaf Breuning
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Olaf Breuning (born February 16, 1970)[1] is a Swiss-born artist, born in Schaffhausen,[1] who lives in New York City.
Key Information
Works
[edit]- Home 1/Home 2 (2004/7) 30 minute video starring Brian Kerstetter. Home 1 is presented as a double-projection, where the main character can no longer distinguish the difference between reality and fiction. He wanders around a hotel room telling stories about himself and other people to the camera. As he tells the stories, they are simultaneously seen on the opposite screen. In Home 2 Brian Kerstetter plays an ignorant tourist staggering around the world from Switzerland to Africa and Japan to Papua New Guinea, crashing his western mentality upon the exotic places he goes.
- Ugly Yelp (2000), Apes (2001), King (2001), Hello Darkness (2002) With these installations, Breuning creates theatrical atmospheres using sound, video and light. These installations have been shown in many museums and are owned by collections internationally.
- Easter Bunnies (2004) A photograph created on Easter Island, transforming Moai into Easter bunnies by setting up rabbit ears on C-stands in the extreme foreground.
- Sibylle (1998)-- Photograph of a female model lying on a table, whose body has been affected by cultural references to Matthew Barney, Cindy Sherman, Pablo Picasso, and others, resulting a creepily mutilated creature.
- Smoke Bombs (2008) Exemplifies Breuning's photographic technique of leaving the mess of production within frame, allowing the viewer to see behind the scenes of the production.
Exhibitions
[edit]Group exhibitions (selected)
[edit]In recent years he has exhibited his works at many group shows around the world, including The Somerset House, London; Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel; Tinguely Museum, Basel; Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Museum der Moderne, Salzburg; Musée Rath, Geneva and many other venues. Some of them are listed below:[2]
2014
- Das Fremde ist nur in der Fremde fremd, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, CH[3]
2013
- Ursula Palla und Olaf Breuning. Hin und Her, Binz 39, Zurich, CH[4]
- Métamatic Reloaded, Tinguely Museum, Basel, CH[5]
- La realtà non è un luogo comune. Fotografie e video della Collezione d'arte della Julius Baer, Museo Cantonale d'Arte, Lugano, CH[6]
2012
- Holzwege. Sentieri erranti. Arte svizzera dalla collezione della Mobiliare, Museo Cantonale d'Arte, Lugano, CH[7]
- Parallelwelt Zirkus, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, AU[8]
- Through the Looking Brain, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, CH[9]
- Incongru. Quand l'art fait rire, Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, CH[10]
2011
- Through the Looking Brain, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn, DE[11]
2010
- Press Art. Die Sammlung Annette und Peter Nobel, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, CH[12]
2009
- Darkside II. Fotografische Macht und fotografierte Gewalt, Krankheit und Tod, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, CH[13]
- 200 Artworks. 25 Years Artists, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, JP (catalogue ISBN 390758225X)
2008
- When fears become form, Centre d'art Neuchâtel (CAN), Neuchâtel, CH[14]
- Sammlung/Collection Migros Museum für Gegenwartkunst Zürich 1978-2008, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, CH[15]
- Whitney Biennial 2008, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, US[16]
2007
- 12e Biennale de l'Image en mouvement, Centre pour l'image contemporaine (CIC), Geneva, CH[17]
- What we bought, Camera Austria, Graz, AU[18]
- All about Laughter: humor in contemporary art, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, JP[19]
- Six Feet Under. Autopsie unseres Umgangs mit Toten. Autopsy of Our Relation to the Dead, Kunstmuseum Bern, CH[20]
2006
- Imagination becomes reality. Part IV. Borrowed images, Sammlung Goetz, München, DE[21]
- Cindy Sherman, Gianni Motti, Olaf Breuning, Galerie Nicola von Senger, Zurich, CH[22]
- Some tribes, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, CH[23]
2003
- Urban Diaries. Young Swiss Art, Alcalá 31, Madrid, ESP[24]
- M_ARS. Kunst und Krieg, de:Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, AU[25]
2002
- Lorbeer-Extrakt. Manor-Kunstpreis Schaffhausen 1987-2001, Museum zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen, CH (catalogue ISBN 3907066448)
2001
- M family. Die Bilder zum Migros Geschäftsbericht 2000, Migros Museum für Gegenwartkunst, Zurich, CH (catalogue ISBN 3952224901)
- Up in the sky. Himmel in der Kunst der 90er Jahre, Kunsthaus Grenchen, Grenchen, CH[26]
- Collaborations with Parkett: 1984 to Now, Museum of Modern Art, New York, US[27]
2000
- Eidgenössische Preise für freie Kunst 2000, Kunsthalle Fri Art, Freiburg, CH[28]
- Let's be friends, Migros Museum für Gegenwartkunst, Zurich, CH[29]
- EX25 Hochschule und Museum Für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich die Letzten 25 Jahre Halle, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Zurich, CH[30]
- Reality Bytes. Der medial vermittelte Blick, Kunsthalle Nürnberg, Nürnberg, DE[31]
1999
- Eidgenössische Preise für freie Kunst 1999, Kunsthalle Zürich, Zurich, CH[32]
1998
- Freie Sicht aufs Mittelmeer. Junge Schweizer Kunst, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, CH (catalogue ISBN 3906574024)
Books
[edit]- Ugly, 2000, monograph, Hatje Cantz, ISBN 3-7757-1105-8
- Home, 2004, monograph, JPR/Ringier, Magasin, Les Musees de Strasbourg, ISBN 2-940271-39-9
- Queen Mary, 2006, drawing catalogue, JPR/Ringier, ISBN 3-905701-94-4
- Queen Mary II, 2010, monograph, JPR/Ringier, Zurich
References
[edit]- ^ a b SIK ISEA, Olaf Breuning
- ^ SIK ISEA, Olaf Breuning (Ausstellungen)
- ^ Saiten, Das Fremde ist nur in der Fremde fremd, by Katharina Flieger, October 17, 2014.
- ^ "Stiftung Binz39". www.binz39.ch.
- ^ "Museum Tinguely - Metamatic". www.tinguely.ch.
- ^ "Website not available". Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
- ^ "Holzwege. Sentieri erranti. Arte svizzera dalla collezione della Mobiliare - SIKART Lexikon zur Kunst in der Schweiz". www.sikart.ch.
- ^ "Home". www.kunsthallewien.at.
- ^ "Through the Looking Brain – Kunstmuseum St.Gallen". www.kunstmuseumsg.ch.
- ^ "Incongru. Quand l'art fait rire de - Exhibition / Ausstellung in Lausanne". www.art-report.com.
- ^ "THROUGH THE LOOKING BRAIN: Kunstmuseum Bonn". www.kunstmuseum-bonn.de.
- ^ "PressArt. Die Sammlung Annette und Peter Nobel".
- ^ "Darkside II – Fotografische Macht und fotografierte Gewalt, Krankheit und Tod - Ausstellungen - Entdecken - Fotomuseum Winterthur". www.fotomuseum.ch.
- ^ "CAN / Archives". www.can.ch.
- ^ "Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst–Sammlung - Collection". www.migrosmuseum.ch.
- ^ "Whitney Biennial 2008 - Whitney Museum of American Art". www.whitney.org.
- ^ Muehlheim, Didier. "12th BIM". www.centreimage.ch.
- ^ "What We Bought".
- ^ Villarreal, Ignacio. "All About Laughter: Humor in Contemporary Art". artdaily.com.
- ^ "Six Feet Under "Autopsie unseres Umgangs mit Toten"". Kunstmuseum Bern.
- ^ "Imagination Becomes RealityPart IV: Borrowed Images - Sammlung Goetz". www.sammlung-goetz.de.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Some Tribes".
- ^ "www.likeyou.com - Urban Diaries : Young Swiss Art - Comunidad de Madrid". old.likeyou.com.
- ^ "M_ARS - Ausstellung - Neue Galerie Graz". www.museum-joanneum.at.
- ^ Annelise Zwez about the exhibition
- ^ "MoMA.org - Interactives - Exhibitions - 2001 - Collaborations with Parkett". www.moma.org.
- ^ Annelise Zwez about the exhibition
- ^ "Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst–Let's Be Friends". www.migrosmuseum.ch.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "Reality Bytes. Der medial vermittelte Blick".
- ^ "Eidgenössische Preise für freie Kunst 1999 - Kunsthalle Zürich". kunsthallezurich.ch.
External links
[edit]Olaf Breuning
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Early life and education
Birth and background
Olaf Breuning was born on February 16, 1970, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [4] [6] He currently lives and works in Upstate New York, maintaining periodic ties to Zürich, Switzerland. [4] [7]Education
Olaf Breuning studied photography at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) in Zürich, where he is recognized as an alumnus of the Department of Fine Arts.[8] Research from the Swiss Institute for Art Research indicates that his studies occurred between 1992 and 1996 at the institution then known as the Höhere Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, which later merged into ZHdK.[6] Breuning received no publicly documented degree from these studies, and biographical accounts consistently describe his time there in terms of focused photographic training rather than completion of a formal degree program.[6] In 2020, ZHdK honored his artistic achievements by awarding him the title of Honorary Companion.[8]Artistic career
Early work in Switzerland
Olaf Breuning's early artistic career unfolded in Switzerland during the late 1990s, where he developed his practice through photography and video while presenting solo exhibitions at galleries and institutions in Zürich and beyond.[4] His first solo show, Waldfest, took place in 1997 at BINZ39 in Zürich, marking his initial public presentation as an artist.[4] This was followed in 1998 by Woodworld at Kunsthaus Glarus, an exhibition that also traveled to Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva the following year.[4] In 2000, he exhibited Ugly Yelp at Ars Futura Galerie in Zürich, further establishing his presence in the Swiss art scene.[4] Among his earliest known works is the C-print photograph Sibylle (1997), which depicts a constructed figure blending human and fantastical elements.[9] [10] Breuning's contributions were recognized in 2000 when he received the Manor-Kunstpreis in Schaffhausen, his birthplace.[4] These early exhibitions and accolades laid the foundation for his subsequent international career.[4]Relocation to New York and rise to prominence
In the early 2000s, Olaf Breuning relocated from Switzerland to New York City, establishing himself in the city's contemporary art scene. [11] His first solo exhibition in New York was "Primitiv" at Metro Pictures, held from October 27 to December 1, 2001, marking his debut with the gallery and the beginning of a sustained professional relationship. [12] [4] Breuning's rise to prominence in the United States was further advanced by his participation in the 2008 Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art. [4] He continues to maintain ties to Switzerland while also living and working in Kerhonkson, New York. [4]Mid-career and gallery representation
In the early 2000s, Olaf Breuning established a long-term relationship with Metro Pictures in New York, beginning with his solo exhibition "Primitiv" in 2001 and continuing through multiple shows over the next two decades until the gallery closed in 2021. [4] [13] This representation formed the core of his mid-career presence in the United States, with notable solo exhibitions at Metro Pictures including "Home" in 2004, "China Town Objects" in 2005, "At least I tried" in 2008, "Small Brain, Big Stomach" in 2009, "Art Freaks" in 2011, "Home 1/2/3" in 2013, "Life" in 2015, and "Olaf Breuning" in 2017. [4] Alongside his primary affiliation with Metro Pictures, Breuning was represented by several European galleries during this period, including von Bartha in Switzerland (his main representation there), Semiose in Paris, Nils Staerk in Copenhagen, and Nicola von Senger in Zürich. [13] These associations supported a sustained output of solo shows across continents, often featuring his evolving work in photography, video, and sculpture. [4] A major mid-career survey, "The Madness That We Call Reality," was presented at NRW-Forum Düsseldorf in 2016. [4]Recent career developments
In recent years, Olaf Breuning has incorporated painting into his multidisciplinary practice, utilizing woodcut stamp techniques and naïve, reduced forms to explore the relationship between humanity and nature.[14] He carves large wood blocks with simple, prefabricated motifs such as raindrops, clouds, fires, grass, trees, and a human figure, which function as a reusable vocabulary stamped onto canvases in a primitive manner consistent with his overall aesthetic.[14] The paintings address environmental imbalance and fragility, serving as colorful reminders that humans are part of nature rather than separate from it, with Breuning noting that the process counters his depressive thoughts about the current situation while emphasizing the need to protect ourselves through better choices.[14] In 2020, Breuning was awarded the title of Honorary Companion ZHdK by the Zurich University of the Arts, recognizing his merits as an alumnus and multimedia artist whose works have been widely exhibited internationally.[8][4] That same period marked the solo exhibition Rain at Metro Pictures in New York, on view from December 10, 2020, to February 27, 2021.[15] Breuning presented Plans for the Planet as a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in both 2021 and 2025, the latter iteration running from June 6 to October 5, 2025, as an interactive adventure playground for children that includes animated drawings, hands-on activities, a reading nook featuring his first book for kids, and prompts for young visitors to share ideas about the natural world and the planet's future.[4][16] In 2024, his solo Sad and Worried Animals at Night Gallery in Los Angeles (presented in collaboration with Sidecar from February 26 to March 15) featured large-scale sculptures of animals carved from stone with ceramic eyes, reimagining small traditional carvings to express serious ecological concern through endearing, pleading expressions.[4][17] Breuning's recent output continues to reflect his concern with the interplay between nature and humanity.[14]Artistic style and themes
Media and techniques
Olaf Breuning's practice spans a wide range of media, including photography, film, ceramics, engraving, drawing, sculpture, installation, video, and painting. [18] [19] [20] He employs these media to create a very direct and deliberately regressive form of art. [18] His techniques often emphasize physical and spontaneous processes, such as woodblock printing for his paintings, in which he carves objects into massive wooden blocks, paints them, and presses them onto canvas to produce works with a rough patina and visible immediacy. [20] [21] Breuning's drawings typically feature simple line work, while his ceramics provide three-dimensional form to his two-dimensional drawings, giving them a bodily presence. [22] [21] His approach frequently incorporates everyday or raw materials and archaic methods, resulting in an unpolished and immediate aesthetic across media. [21] [20]Recurring themes and influences
Olaf Breuning's artistic practice is distinguished by a consistent engagement with humor, irony, satire, absurdity, and caricature as primary means of addressing the complexities of modern life. His work frequently employs these elements to underscore the ridiculous aspects of human behavior and societal norms, creating a playful yet pointed commentary that invites viewers to question their assumptions. Breuning draws heavily from pop culture references and primitivism, combining recognizable symbols from advertising, cartoons, and everyday media with simple, almost childlike forms such as stick figures or basic shapes. This juxtaposition often highlights tensions between sophistication and naivety, as well as the impact of human activity on nature and the environment. A recurring disillusioned perspective on reality permeates his output, where optimism and cynicism coexist in a personal, diary-like approach that reflects the artist's observations of the world. Breuning's objective remains a search for truth, using irony and humor to reveal underlying truths about existence, identity, and the absurdities of contemporary culture without resorting to overt moralizing.Selected works
Video and film projects
Olaf Breuning has produced a notable series of video works that blend humor, absurdity, and social commentary, often featuring performances by actor Brian Kerstetter in narrative scenarios. These projects form part of his broader multi-media practice, extending his exploration of human behavior and contemporary culture through moving image. [23] [24] The Home trilogy represents his most sustained engagement with video art, comprising Home 1 (2005), Home 2 (2007), and Home 3 (2012). [23] The works feature Kerstetter as a naive, self-observing protagonist who navigates situations that push boundaries and create discomfort with good intentions. The artist has noted that the series was created during a period when television programs such as Jackass and Curb Your Enthusiasm were prominent, and he acknowledges that contemporary culture has become more sensitive regarding such content. [23]- Home 1 (2005): A man locked in a hotel room blurs reality and fiction while narrating stories and strange adventures.
- Home 2 (2007): A Western tourist observes unfamiliar situations through a limited perspective, metaphorically addressing human challenges in understanding complex realities.
- Home 3 (2012): A homage to New York City, suggesting strange stories exist everywhere without needing to travel far.