War of the Corners
Torsten Lauschmann
20 April - 7 May 2018
Reid Gallery
This new solo commission of audio-visual and sculptural works by Glasgow-based Torsten Lauschmann, takes its title from a war of words that broke out in 18th century Paris when an elitist French opera had to make way for a sudden wave of populist Italian opera.
At a time when populist and nationalist vocabularies have again re-surfaced, Lauschmann creates a series of ambitious new works which interact with and reframe referents and resources from high and low culture, thus drawing together abstraction, humour, politics and art.
Torsten Lauschmann's art is notable for its innovative and idiosyncratic approach across a range of formats including video, photography, sound, online projects, performance and installation. He is interested in the earliest forms of magical and cinematic entertainment, as well as the latest technological advances. He tweaks the mechanics of both digital and analogue technologies, producing works that explore our relationship with machines, as well as our understanding of the moving image and illusion. Made using a range of materials, found objects and technological processes, his works defy categorisation and deliberately avoid the notion of a signature style or appearance. Instead, Lauschmann is interested in delving into the fundamentals of life and human nature -- resulting in artworks that range from the melancholic, poetic and romantic, to the theoretical and the absurd.
Lauchsmann's work has been screened, exhibited and performed internationally, including Venice Biennale (2003), Volksbuhne Berlin (2013) and BBC Scotland (2015). His work is included in the private and public collections including Art Council of England, Contemporary Art Society and National Galleries of Scotland. He has been awarded the Margaret Tait Award in 2011, a National Award for experimental and innovative artists working within film and moving image; and the 2013 Paul Hamlyn Award. Torsten Lauschmann has been teaching Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practice in the UK and abroad for the last 15 years. He is currently Lecturer in Contemporary Art Theory and Practice (Post-Media) at the Edinburgh College of Art. He graduated from Glasgow School of Art with a BA (HONS) in 1997, and gained an MA in Media Art, Hochshule fur Gestaltung (ZKM) Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1999.
www.torstenlauschmann.com
