Thomas Stimm is passionate and ironic in his promotion of a new planetary consciousness.

The Subject

"The first travelers to the moon thought that our planet seen from orbit looked very fragile. Although the human urge to conquer brought us the moon, it also took away our sense of an infinite living space. In a way we left paradise. After traveling for just a few kilometres through our blue skies we landed in a vast darkness which confronted us with new dimensions. Seeing our planet from this distance changes our perspective. (…) The view from orbit interconnects our interests as human beings in a new way thus supplying us with our greatest common link in the shape of this picture of our planet. It is an emblem that unites us in spite of all variety and diversity. This emblem represents a possible planetary consciousness that will one day enable us to find a common name for our planet without difficulty. Seen from the sun we are all equal. Perhaps we will be known as Terranians in interplanetary contexts—just as we see ourselves as Europeans today." (Thomas Stimm)


The Concept

Thomas Stimm is passionate and ironic in his promotion of a new planetary consciousness. For the first time the exhibition "TERRA" will show the artist's extensive but so far hardly known collection of works which consists of suns, globes, Terranians, speech bubbles, logos, emblems and a shop for Terranian lifestyle. A new colourful picture of our planet unfurls: "Terra" as a "home in space" for Terranians of all continents.


The Artist

Born in 1948 in Vienna, 1968-74 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, 1971 member of the group GUM, 1974-76 assistant of Max Weiler, 1995 visiting professor at the University of the Arts, Bremen, 1997 lectureship at the Claremont School of Art, Perth, Australia, lives and works in Vienna, Cologne and Burgau

Exhibitions (selection)
2009 Skulpturenpark Köln, Cologne, 2009 Museum Stift Admont, 2008 MUMOK Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna, 2007 Artist in Residence, Istanbul, 2007 Galerie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, 2006 ikob, Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst Eupen, 2004 Kunstverein Köln, Cologne, 2003 Rupertinum Salzburg, 2002 Museum Ludwig, Cologne, 2001 Museum der Moderne, Salzburg

Curator: Dr. Claudia Emmert, director of the Kunstpalais Erlangen & Städtische Sammlung Erlangen

www.kunstpalais.de
info@kunstpalais.de

Kunstpalais
Marktplatz 1
91054 Erlangen
Germany

Opening times:
Tue – Sun 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Wed. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.


Coming Exhibitions:

M+M: Komm erst einmal zu mir, 13 January – 20 March 2011
Mathilde Rosier: 7 April – 12 June 2011


*Image above:
© The artist.
Thomas Stimm, "Starship," 2007.
Polyurethane coated, 170 x 250 x 35 cm.*