Casey Kaplan

JOHANNES WOHNSEIFER: "FATHER AND SON (RECONSTRUCTION OF BIRTH)"

EXHIBITION DATES: SEPTEMBER 10 – OCTOBER 9, 2004
OPENING: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 6 – 8 PM
GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY – SATURDAY, 10 – 6 PM

Casey Kaplan is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in New York of Johannes Wohnseifer entitled, "Father and Son (Reconstruction of Birth)." The Cologne-based artist interweaves a broad range of historical, political and autobiographical references in an installation of signs and images that exceed identifiable association.

The starting point for this exhibition takes its inspiration from a father and a son, Paul Schneider-Esleben and Florian Schneider-Esleben. As modernists, respectively in their fields of architecture and music, they actively initiated international exchange and dialogue from Germany in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

In 1966, Paul Schneider-Esleben designed the terminal of the Cologne-Bonn International Airport. With its modern architecture, contemporary furniture, and new technical advancements, the airport served as a major gateway for international travelers informing their initial experience to post-war Germany. As a child, Wohnseifer’s father often brought him to visit the airport.

In 1970, Kraftwerk, with Florian Schneider-Esleben as one of its founding members released its first self-titled LP ‘Kraftwerk.’ The band’s futuristic themes and funky rhythms had an enormous impact in the future development of house, techno, hip-hop and other areas of modern music. The music of Kraftwerk established an indisputable base for music scenes that would grow and thrive globally, specifically in New York and Detroit. Furthermore, Kraftwerk’s first LP featured a double cover where on the inside there was a black and white photograph of a transformer taken by Bernd and Hilla Becher. The single image is highly unusual for the Bechers best known for their serial work.

For Wohnseifer, these specific post-war German influences take form, and are amplified in his artworks as sculptures, paintings and collages.

Wohnseifer further addresses his own personal history by relating the Italian Grand Prix in Monza held on the date of the his birth, September 10th 1967. This race is particularly special because the winning racecar was a hybrid of Honda’s 12-cylinder motor. For this exhibition, the artist traveled to the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan where he filmed and recorded the original Honda RA 300 Formula One racecar that won the race.

Johannes Wohnseifer’s interest in cultural and personal history results in original conceptual experiences. Together, the presented artworks highlight the malleable nature of visual perception where ideas and symbols quickly shift meaning and new relationships are formed.

The artist’s recent one-person exhibitions include: Sprengel Museum, Hannover; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne and Johann König, Berlin, Germany. Group shows include: Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen; Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany; and the Yokohama Triennale, Japan in 2001. Johannes Wohnseifer is also featured in Taschen’s 2002 publication Art Now: 137 Artists at the Rise of the New Millennium.