Artists Information

The sculptor duo Venske & Spänle works with the classic sculptural material marble, from which they create a universe of fanciful and joyous figures that give a nod to the tradition of abstract sculpture while simultaneously tapping into a narrative element. The coolness and hardness of the stone is transformed into an impression of organic softness and warmth, immediately tempting the spectator to touch the objects. Groups of figures that seem to have crawled out of some prehistoric swamp or a genetic experiment – smurfs, gumpfots, phytes, helotrophs and sucker-like creatures – virtually come to life in front of the spectator’s eyes. The individual object that has grown out of the specific art form takes on a symbolic quality that interpolates the formal constraints and compacted structure of the medium with the tradition of the grotesque. Often, the exhibitions also feature video installations showing the objects in motion set beside the sculptures. Through the juxtaposition of animation and sculpture, the object universe created by Venske & Spänle inhabits different levels of reality.

Julia Venske was born in Berlin in 1971, and Gregor Spänle was born in Munich in 1969. Both trained at the professional school of sculpture in Lasa. They have worked together since 1996 and live in Munich and New York.

Selected work
Smörf 96 (2006) Sculpture Polished Lasa marble

Selected work
Gumpfot Freund (2008) Sculpture Polished Lasa marble

Selected work
Helotroph drupi (2008) Sculpture Polished Lasa marble, cassette recorder