Erwin Schatzmann

August 22 - September 26 2010

In 1999 Erwin Schatzmann (*1954, lives and works in Winterthur) became famous nationwide for the launching of a public vote for an artificial lake in Winterthur. For financial reasons the initiative was turned down in the end, but it still mirrors Schatzmann's artistic approach exceedingly well. The artist recognises the function of art in a mixture of art and life and he believes in a concept that is very close to Joseph Beuys' idea of the social sculpture. This doesn't mean that Schatzmann isn't keen on the world of things and objects, however; his appearance is very unconventional, he produces an impressive number of pictures and sculptures and the place he lives in looks like an inhabited sculpture. But all this is just a manifestation of an understanding of life that goes far beyond any material questions. Schatzmann's attitude is a fundamentally religious one; not in the sense of a normative authority that has a specific name based on historical and geographical circumstances but in his belief in the world as something integral and holistic. Some parts of the show at Kunsthalle are structured as meeting places, but Schatzmann also gives an insight into his collections of various objects and his writings. The writings fill hundreds of pages meanwhile and deal with basically all aspects of life and human existence. Creation and creativity are key to Schatzmann's self understanding; they don't necessarily mean tradable and collectable artworks but social criticism, scepticism towards conventions and an active participation to make the world a meaningful and responsible place.

Oliver Kielmayer