P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center presents the first solo New York exhibition of work by Berlin-based conceptual artist Florian Slotawa. Rather than creating new objects from scratch, Florian Slotawa rearranges and recontextualizes what already exists. In his artworks Slotawa assembles and arranges furniture and everyday objects in elaborate compositions that respond to the rooms and spaces in which they are presented.
In his exhibition located in the 2nd floor Mini Kunsthalle, Slotawa creates the twelfth in a series of works he began in 1996, called Besitzarbeiten, or “property works.” Most of the contents from his Berlin apartment, including his washing machine, dining table, wardrobe and kitchen sink, have been transported into the gallery, leaving the apartment absent of key appliances and furniture. Within the exhibition these personal objects are recast within the public realm, as they provide the material for a work of art. Slotawa adds new dimensions to familiar objects, creating a relationship between the artist and the institution of the museum. These possessions are neither altered or damaged, and will be returned to their original location for everyday use after the exhibition.
Florian Slotawa (b. 1972, Rosenheim, Germany) lives and works in Berlin. He has had solo exhibitions including Solothurn aussen, Kunstverein Solothurn, Switzerland (2008); One After the Other, Arthouse, Austin (2007); Modern Art, London (2006); and Haus am Waldsee, Berlin (2005). His work has been included in group shows including Made in Germany (2007) at the Sprengel Museum in Hannover; and Of Mice and Men: The 4th Biennial for Contemporary Art (2006) in Berlin.
Organized by Susanne Pfeffer, Curator at KW Institute for Contemporary Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center Curatorial Advisor.