daily life or art?
A lot of my work reflects about what it means to be human.
Sleeping is one of the most basic daily life activities. For me it’s so interesting that we are somehow gone when we sleep. We step out to recharge. Our body becomes some sort of a sculpture. Also sleeping is very private and authentic – I can’t help it but when I come across people sleeping in public spaces I find it fascinating.
Sleeping people on a street in Tokyo. Secret street art installation. 2017
Person sleeping on the street in Poland. Secret street art sculpture. 2019
Sleeping person in front of a house in Tokyo. Secret street art sculpture. 2017
A sleeping place under a bridge in Vienna. Secret street art installation. 2016
Workers sleeping in a museum. Secret life art exhibition, China. 2018
Workers sleeping in a museum. Secret life art exhibition, China. 2018
For me sleeping in public – when done out of free will – carries in a way a sentiment of lawlessness, because it is somehow a refusal to conform. Since sleeping in public has a grip on me I did an artwork whilst my time in japan, where I just traveled around with a blanket and slept on the street in public spaces for a few days. Naturally this work is also a reflection about homelessness and what privilege it is to keep the private private.
Sleeping in public. Park bench classic.
Naoshima, Japan, 2017
Sleeping in public. Miniature golf.
Ibusuki, Japan 2017
Sleeping in public. Industrial area.
Ibusuki, Japan 2017
Sleeping in public. Park.
Naoshima, Japan, 2017
Sleeping in public. Museum island.
Inoshima, Japan, 2017
Yawning. Performance, 15 min.
AIL, Vienna 2016
Yawning is something so simple but something we all connect with. The performance yawning had a comical facet for the reason that all people in the exhibition started to yawn too. Yawning is contagious - because of the mirror neurons in the brain is what they say.
sleeping on the beach no 1 & no 2. watercolor on paper, 20x30 cm 2017
Sleeping itself is mysterious and has its own specific magic despite being so banal. It has an innocent feel to see sleeping people. And its quite intimate. It is very vulnerable to sleep because we have no awareness about our surroundings. Dreaming is a whole other compelling topic – until now we don’t have a lot of concrete answers about why we dream. Dream interpretation is still an unanswered mystery but at least we know that it is very individual. It’s enthralling to think that our subconscious could be communicating with us through dreams.
sleeping shapes. watercolor on paper, ca 18x18 cm 2018
Do you sleep over?
Do you stay or do you go home?
sleeping over. oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm 2019