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Olaf Breuning – Swiss Futuremovers

16.07.2024 2 min

ART WITH HUMOUR: Olaf Breuning is one of the few Swiss artists to enjoy international acclaim. His surreal works are often of a socially controversial nature.

Whether it’s sculptures, photographs, drawings, films or installations: Olaf Breuning creates art in all its possible genres using a wide variety of media from his house in a forest near New York. He exhibits all over the world from Tokyo to Dubai and can be seen in Paris (Semiose Gallery) and Los Angeles (Sidecar Gallery, Night Gallery) in 2024.

Olaf Breuning

Artist

Voice on World Events

If Breuning’s work had to be reduced to a common denominator, it would probably be the socio-political component that is always resonant. “I am trying to move away from just focussing on art,” he said in an interview with the NRW-Forum in the context of an exhibition, “I want to make art about the world.” As an artist, he has a voice — and he takes that extremely seriously. Olaf Breuning implicitly comments on world events and very human traits in a refreshingly diverse way.

I want to
make art about
the world.

Irritating Works Arouse Interest

This attitude is reflected in often irritating and humorous works that sometimes refer to our consumption, sometimes to our increasing focus on everything digital. For example, the multimedia artist drew attention to global warming with the inscription “SAVE THE CLIMATE!” written in large letters on the back of underpants worn by otherwise almost naked skiers on Verbier glacier.

The New Yorker by choice often sees the profound in simple things. On Instagram, the 54-year-old serves his almost 70,000 followers with funny faces carved into food and other objects. This sense of the small, the everyday is as typical of Breuning as his wake-up calls on major topical issues.

What Motivates Olaf Breuning?

The challenges of our time are so complex that even the most intelligent person can never solve them alone. What Olaf Breuning masters in, however, is grabbing the attention of many people and encouraging them to reflect. He mobilises the masses through his art — and opens doors to the future.

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