In his first solo exhibition at Galerie Lisa Kandlhofer the German artist presents new sculptural works, photographs and videos, dealing with the autarchic body and an independent existence of human limbs and organs. The title of the exhibition ‘Autobody’ is ambiguous: initially it signifies the shell of a vehicle, the outer body bodywork that covers the technical inner workings and makes them invisible for the outside world. But furthermore, ‘Autobody’ also refers to the ‘autonomous body’, which leads a more or less visible automatized life of its own, beyond the awareness of the human being.
Malte Bruns’ ‘body parts’ are created from the casts of the artist’s own limbs in silicone or polyester which are subsequently…show more content… The associations with the prosthetic industry are clearly evident, still the artist is not concerned with disclosing or dealing with an impaired locomotory system, he rather refers to tendencies of medicine, robotics and genetics to optimize the human body bionically, and to equip it with superhuman powers. Historically, efforts to generate such abilities were preceded by experiments within the areas of magic and the occultism, which Bruns alludes tonot entirely without a sense of humourin his work entitled ‘Houdini’. Houdini’s magic was an illusion, still he was an idol for generations of Americans and had the aura of an invincible…show more content… Especially the monsters of these (or similar) movies, their fantastic heroes and repellent villains, constitute the sources for the artist’s macabre creatures. With their ‘handmade’ aesthetic, familiar from the prop rooms of last century’s Hollywood, Bruns works contrasts the polished facades and the smooth surfaces featured in today’s technological productions. Malte Bruns sculptures are executed by himself, in his studio, at times supported by an assistant. And without further ado, the artist uses the studio floor for the presentation: He cuts out the segments on which the respective work was produced and turns thus the wooden floor material into a platform or
