Stephan Balkenhol
Frau (woman), relief, cottonwood, 240 × 102 × 14 cm, 2000
Stephan Balkenhol is not only present at numerous international exhibitions with his sculptures, but many of his works are displayed in the public space all over the world. They always bear relation to the place where they are located, often with a subtle humour. Contrary to the common trend of abstraction in Western art since the 70’s, the sculptor concentrated from the outset on figurative works which he mostly covers with color. Despite their monumental size, they are by no means like the monumental memorial art that was still common in socialist countries at that time. The characters the artist portrays are no celebrities, not even beauties. They are people like you and me, just normal, »carved from simple wood«. At Enver Hoxha’s time they surely wouldn’t have had access to Hotel Dajti … In this exhibition, the relief »woman« (which has a counterpart, »man«), represents the observer, the contemporary witness. She looks at all events with a certain imperturbability, knowing that she won’t change the course of the world.
Stephan Balkenhol
Born in 1957 in Fritzlar, West-Germany. Lives and works
in Meisenthal, France, Karlsruhe and Berlin, Germany
Education: 1976–82 Academy of Arts, Hamburg
(Prof. Rückriem)
Teaching experience:
1988–89 Academy of Arts, Hamburg 1990–91
Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main since 1992
Professor for sculpture, Academy of Arts, Karlsruhe
Selected solo exhibitions:
2007 Museum der Moderne, Salzburg ››› Kabinett für
Aktuelle Kunst, Bremerhaven ››› PAC, Milano ››› Gallery
Forsblom, Helsinki ››› Gallery Tomio Koyama, Tokio
2006 Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden ››› Regen
Projects. Los Angeles ››› Galleri Bo Bjerggaard,
Kopenhagen ››› MKM Duisburg 2005 The National
Museum of Art, Osaka ››› Galería Pepe Cobo, Madrid
2004 Galería OMR, Mexiko-City 2003 Le rectangle.
Lyon ››› Sprengel Museum, Hannover 2002 Galerie
Pepe Cobo, Sevilla (regularly since 2002) 2001
Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de
Compostela Galería ››› OMR, Mexiko-City ››› Fries
Museum, Leeuwarden ››› Museum der Bildenden
Künste, Leipzig ››› Dogenhaus Galerie, Leipzig
2000 The Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati
Recent group exhibitions:
2007 works on paper, Galerie Bernd Klüser, Munich ›››
Sculpture Grande Prague 07 ››› 10. Triennale Kleinplastik,
Fellbach 2006 La Force de l’art, Grand Palais, Paris
2005 Karlsruher Figuration, Würth collection, Arlesheim
