[CONTACT]

[PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

Swiss Artist Christoph Büchel To Present New Work
At Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions

Opening reception Wednesday 29 October, 7 - 9 pm

Exhibition runs 29 October - 28 December 2003

PRESS CONTACT: Julie Deamer 323.957.1777 x 17

Swiss artist Christoph Büchel creates hyper-realistic environments that are, in essence, like walking into a mind at work. His detailed installations are three-dimensional renderings of interior spaces and/or situations that often convey extreme psychological mindsets, such as that of a survivalist, a homeless person, or an agoraphobe. These fictitious yet highly believable environments – rooms within rooms – are carefully constructed so that the institutional framework of the art museum and all reference to the gallery context are removed.

A complexity is found in the elaborate detail the artist develops for each project, an artistic sensibility that allows layers of social and political commentary to permeate within a uniquely contemplative space. Büchel locates contradictions and social inequities in the ideological forces dominating society today (global capitalism, unprincipled consumption, religious conservatism, American hegemony) and finds a way through his work to satirize, demystify, and resist these forces by revealing them as constructed realities subject to change.

The focus of Büchel’s installation at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions will be replicas of missiles, bombs, and other military equipment stashed away as if hidden and forgotten in a small waiting room, discovered only after walking through a series of adjacent rooms and doors. A fascinating environment to experience, the installation will be understood as a commentary on past and present military agendas.

This exhibition has been organized for Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions by Julie Deamer and Shirley Morales, in partnership with Hollywood Hills House, an international residency program in Los Angeles in which Christoph Büchel is currently in residence for three months. Selected solo exhibitions include 1998 Home Affairs TBA Exhibition Space, Chicago; 1999 Homeless Depot Four Walls, San Francisco; 2000 Joy of Institution Kunstmuseum St. Gallen; 2001 Kunst Inc. Maccarone Inc., New York, 2002; Capital Affair, Helmhaus Zurich; Shelter Haus der Kunst, Munich; 2003 Palace of the People, Bucharest, O.K-Centrum für Gegenwartskunst, Linz (cat.). This exhibition will mark Christoph Büchel’s first exhibition in Los Angeles.

Also at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions

Thursday 30 October 2003 from 7-9 pm
Panel Discussion -- "Curating Now,"
Panelists: Paul Foss, Irene Hoffman, Manray Hsu, and Maren Richter

29 October – 28 December 2003
Exhibition of new work by Los Angeles artist Kerry Tribe.

About Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Uniquely positioned among commercial galleries and major art institutions, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions distinguishes itself by serving as a laboratory for artistic research and unfettered, positive creative expression, where artists—including newly-emerging and under-represented artists as well as more established artists—have the freedom and the opportunity to take risks. The organization originated in 1978 from a need for a Los Angeles venue that supports, exhibits, and advocates innovations in art-making. Since its inception, the organization has presented the work of over 5000 artists in over 3000 exhibitions, performances, screenings, and works of public art.
Admission to Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions is free with a recommended donation of $3.00 ($2.00 students, members free). Gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday 12 - 6 pm, Friday 12 – 9 pm. Call 323.957.1777 for parking information, directions, and additional information. For more information about Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and its programs please visit www.artleak.org.

Support for Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and its programs comes from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, California Community Foundation Arts Funding Initiative, Getty Grant Program, Thornton S. Glide, Jr. and Katrina D. Glide Foundation, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Peter Norton Family Foundation, and the members of Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions.

[PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

[CONTACT]