Untitled
2012, sugar cubes on canvas, 100 x 70 cm
born 1978 in Semriach, Styria (Austria)
1999 Studied painting at the Ortweinschule, Graz.
from 2000 Continuation of studies at the University of Applied Arts Vienna; studies in the class Transmedia Art of Brigitte Kowanz.
2003 "Stone Age", participation in the workshop of Jimmie Durham, Norway.
2004 Participation in the symposium with Rirkrit Tiravanija, Venice, Italy.
2006 Prize of the Province of Styria, Austria for contemporary visual arts.
2008 "Viennafair": Prize of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce - Winner of the best stand
2009 "New Position" award, Art Cologne
Christian Eisenberger is taciturn and full of ideas. He is one who reaches into life up to his elbows. The fund from which he draws is infinite, for this fund is nothing less than the world in all its parts. Eisenberger seriously (as opposed to "ironically") pursues his art as an appropriation of the world by using and transforming what a place offers and what others no longer give a glance to. It is a world of simple things beyond their use and exchange value, a chaotic universe of cardboard boxes, porn magazines, antler poles, worn postcards, played records, pine cones, leftover garters, ultrasound scans of foetuses, pictures of his grandfather and of Marilyn Monroe, tape en masse, hair scraps from the hairdresser, donations of words from passers-by and lots of paint, simply everything that exists serves him as material. Well, for what? For new parts of the world that belong to the art operating system. Strange stuff like concrete dachshunds on deer legs, Christian crosses and stars of David as well as communist stars made of spirit levels, "good morning" greetings made of cow dung, adhesive tape cocoons from which he slips, strips them off like an old skin, in keeping with his daily metamorphosis as an artist.
Transience, fragility, the ephemeral, the changing stand out as an essential quality of many works: In the cardboard figures that collectors competed for with the "carrot ballet" of the municipal rubbish collection, the human cocoons made of adhesive tape that slowly collapse, the more or less burnt smoke drawings, the absolutely unusable gallows made of shaving foam and neon tubes, or the zombie pictures made of silicone and varnish that he exposed to the weather and the fauna of his studio garden for weeks. The artist refers to the series of paintings of ghostly heads he has been creating since 2008 as "zombies", living corpses whose facial features slowly melt away as the painting ages. Franz West calls his ghostly heads with wide-open mouths "lemurs" and thinks there are plenty of them in the city. And at least as many Dorian Grays.
Wherever Eisenberger goes, the material for his works is already there. He always takes it from his surroundings. Whether in nature or on a farm, in the city centre or in a museum, whatever is at hand is used, transformed, recycled. That is why all labels like "Land Art" or "Street Art" fall short, because Eisenberger's incessant artistic feat, even the daily work in the studio, bears the character of a continuous performance, making the working process more important than the result. The artist often works in series, experimenting with ideas and materials until he gets tired of them and the works become increasingly casual and shapeless. In his exhibitions, he likes to go back to earlier designs, varying and combining them with something new, pushing the limits of what he can do with materials and people. In 2008, he built a lookout tower at the Vienna Art Fair out of adhesive tape and filigree wooden slats and invited visitors to follow him to dizzying heights with full physical effort.
What is it that distinguishes Eisenberger's depictions of transience from historical vanitas images? For one thing, transience was traditionally seen in the mirror of existing but decrepit beauty. Eisenberger's work does not have this aspect. A second facet, namely the intended purification of human courage through turning to faith and religious instruction, is also omitted. The paradox of the historical depictions of vanitas is the presence of absence, the presence of the past, which does not exclude even the image as an object. How many generations have the apocalyptic horsemen, the ships of fools, the plague columns and the skull still lifes survived as reminders of death? Art that permanently captures the ephemeral remains an "as if", remains a trompe-l`œil of transience. Eisenberger does not stop there. His depictions of transience are themselves transient. Who knows how long the materials he works with will last? Much, as we have seen, is only made for the moment. Others have a somewhat longer half-life, but the foreseeable decay is in the nature of his art. So is it possible that the artist is making an ironic gesture towards those who want to attain eternity through the possession of his works? No, because Eisenberger's art consists precisely in taking decay seriously, not restoring anything, not making anything beautiful afterwards, but rather in attaining the titanic serenity that resonates in "It is what it is".
Martin Titz
Cocoon
2010, bronze casting, 7 exhibits, 156 x 56 x 50 cm
Untitled
2011, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 100 cm
Ausstellungen
Solo exhibitions
2019
"rather nervous than ugly and nasty", Galerie Nicola von Senger, Switzerland, Zurich (CH)
2018
"SUPERRETROSPEKTIVE", Martinez, Cologne, Germany, (DE)
"Art Berlin", Solostand, Martinez, Germany, (DE)
2017
"Dark Materia Cold Rumours 9975/14129/30817", Gallery Krinzinger, Vienna (AT)
"MASK", Gallery Nicola von Senger, Zurich, Switzerland (CH)
"Status Substantiv", Gallery MARTINETZ, Cologne, Germany
"Art Rotterdam" Solo Booth, Gallery Hidde von Seggelen, Rotterdam (NL)
2016
"THE MOUNTAINS SMOKE AS LONG AS THEY EAT IRON 9975/13822/27937", Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna/Vienna (A) tbc, Galerie422, "Margund Lössl", Gmunden (Austria)
"FROM THE OTHER HIT 9975/13782/27843", City Gallery Waidhofen (Austria)
"title follows the foot in the hand", Galerie Eugen Lendl, Graz (Austria)
2015
"Barbie cow", Cserni Collection, Vienna/Vienna (A)
"Bedroom", Krinzinger Projects @ Parallel 2015 (A)
"Head, head, head", Martinetz, Cologne (D)
"Amoeba", Krinzinger Projects, Vienna (A)
"Züldjafndfwjopcnpüaüldfmmc", Gallery Z., Hard (A)
2014
"HIMMEL WEISHEIT WALD 9975/13107/2791." Gallery Krinzinger, Vienna (A)
"Pay your bills under the bridge," Pablos Birthday Gallery, NY (USA)
2013
"Christian Eisenberger | Karl Karner", Gölles Gallery, Fürstenfeld (A)
"Theegulla Venkanna: Air Sri Lanka", Krinzinger Projekte, Vienna (A)
"Running Sushi", TEAPOT, Cologne (D)
"Censored Silence", Konzett Gallery, Vienna (A)
2012
"THE HIMALAYA IS NO LONGER LAUGHING", Galerie Altnöder, Salzburg (A)
"Eisenberger vs. Karner", with Karl Karner, Galerie artepari, Graz (A)
"SHAME ON YOU EISENBERGER", Pablo's Birthday Gallery, NY (USA)
Columbo Art Biennial 2012
2011
"Christian Eisenberger: HYPERCOLLABORATIVE HYPOTHESIS RELECTOR 9975/22928/12100", ES contemporary art gallery, Merano (I)
"Arena Lustenello", art space Zögernitz, Vienna (A)
"unbleached", Gallery Gölles (A)
"art.1800 Marktlalm Turracher Höhe", sculpture-project, Turracher Höhe (A)
"Kolatschendämmerung", together with Thomas Palme, Open Space Lab, V8 Platform for New Art, Karlsruhe (D)
"Employees Must Wash Hands Before Returning To Work", Gallery pablo's birthday, NYC (USA)
"I Come a Couple of Days Before", together with Judith Rohrmoser, dispari&dispari project, Reggio Emilia (I)
"Running Sushi", Gallery Teapot, Cologne (D)
2010
"IMG3171PSD", Konzett Gallery, Vienna (A)
"Christian Eisenberger - unbleached", Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld (A)
"SACKLPICKAHEATBAG 9975-21684-11581", Gallery Teapot, Cologne (D)
2009
"pain-dings/education/care", Gallery Altnöder, Salzburg (A)
"Christian Eisenberger: PUREXRHINOTILLEXOMANIE 9813/19445/11164", Gallery St. Georg, Karakoy-Instanbul (TR)
2008
"oxytocin-(p)-urex-egg", Gallery Arve Opdahl, Berlin (D)
"urexazerbationtelomereliktakuterusmetabolis", Krems (A)
Temporary installation in Il Giardino di Daniel Spoerri, Pescina (I)
"Christian Eisenberger", Galéria Mladých / Nitrianska Galéria, Nitra, (SK) (K)
2007
"UREX - best before", Gallery Altnöder, Salzburg (A)
"metastases - deep", project space Viktor Bucher, Vienna (A)
"Quasi trentanove di fabre, Marco", Dispari & Dispari Project, Reggio Emilia (I)
2006
Group exhibitions
2020-21
An original from ...(VII), Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld (A)
2019
Gallery Bernd Kugler, Innbruck (A)
2018
"Guernica Icon of Peace", Hofburg Innsbruck (A)
"Exhibiting the Exhibiting", Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden Baden, Germany
2017
"Art 4.0 or the survival of painting", Vienna Art Week 2017
Opening exhibition Dommuseum Wien, Vienna
"AIR 2016", Krinzinger Projects, Vienna (A)
10 years Musa - ba ≠ b+a - MUSA Museum Startgalerie Artothek, Vienna
2016
"tbc", galerija rigo, Novigrad Cittanova (CR)
"phew, so close to christmas! Palme, stessl, eisenberger", artdepot, Innsbruck (A)
"Karl Karner & Christian Eisenberger, Baba Wanga", Grenzkunst-Halle Jennersdorf (A) Forever, Bubox, Kortrijk
"Works on Paper and Wood", HilgerBROTKunsthalle, Vienna (A)
"Prière De Toucher, The Sense of Touch in Art", Museum Tinguely, Basel (CH)
2015
Dark Ages - AEROPLASTICS contemporary, Brussels (BE) Mumok, Vienna (A)
"Berlin-Klyndyke: 1st Berlin Edition", Salon Dahlmann, Berlin (D)
"Destination Vienna 2015", Kunsthalle, Vienna (A)
2014
"André Butzer, Christian Eisenberger", with André Butzer, Künstlerhaus, Graz (A)
"Martin Walde, Jonathan Hernández, Daniel Spoerri, Christian Eisenberger", Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna (A)
"Hyperion's Youth", curated by André Butzer, Galerie Hammelehle und Ahrens, Cologne (D)
"Christian Eisenberger, Karin Frank and Karl Karner", Gallery 422, Gmunden (A)
"FINIS", Altnöder Gallery, Salzburg (A)
2013
"Food in Art", Kunshalle Krems, Krems (A)
"Salon Sandy", Pablos Birthday Gallery, NY (USA)
ARB€¥T R¥$K¥€RT £€¥$TUNG!?, Technisch Gewerbliche Abendschule des BFI, Vienna (A)
2012
"The Naked Man", Lentos Art Museum Linz (A)
"AUSKARTONBOX, Sébastien de Ganay & Christian Eisenberger", Die Ausstellungsstraße, Vienna2013 Shame on you, Eisenberger, Kunsthalle Krems (A)
"An original from ...(II), Galerie Gölles, Fürstenfeld (A)
2011
"Debut", Villa Weiss, Ligist (A)
"Dieter Roth, Miroslav Tichy, Franz West, Christian Eisenberger, Roberta Lima, Albert Mayr", Konzett Gallery, Vienna (A)
"DEBUT", Villa Weiss, Vienna (A)
"GOOD HUNT", Gallery Nitra, Nitra (SK) (K)
"Portrait", Gallery 422, Gmunden (A)
"Eremitage", Venloerstraße 16, Cologne, curated by Philipp Noller (D)
"Frogbearfant and other animals in art", Galerie im Traklhaus, Salzburg (A) (K)
2010
"Homage to Sigmar Polke", Konzett Gallery, Vienna (A)
"ESCAPE THE GOLDEN CAGE", International Exhibition of Urban Art, Vienna (A)
"SAFE?", Schaumbad - free studio house, Graz (A)
"FOUND - Wanted", Gallery Kon-temporär, Graz (A)
"The Creation of Ice", an artistic intervention within the culture festival "St. Moritz Art Masters 2010", Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St. Moritz (CH)
"SEARCH YOURSELF!", 12C Room for Art, Schnifis (A)
"Painting: Process and Expansion", MUMOK, Vienna (A) (K)
"Street and Studio", Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna (A) (K)
"Triennale Linz 1.0 - Contemporary Art in Austria", Lentos Art Museum Linz (A) (K)
"Kurhotel Montafon", Schruns (A)
"A Basic Human Impulse", GC.AC - Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea di Monfalcone (I)
"mai2010.group_show", Gallery at the Karmelitermarkt, Vienna (A)
"WALK THE LINE?, Extraordinary Examples in Graphic Arts", project space Viktor Bucher, Vienna (A)
"I animal! (you human) - you animal! (I human)", Perla fashion and service building, Vienna (A)
"Prometheus", Cultural Centre at the Minorites, Graz (A)
"Eisenberger-Kramer-Lestardes. ENTRY DRIVE 9975-21271-11482", WUK Vienna (A)
"Catch Me! speed catch", Kunsthaus Graz, Space01, Graz (A) (K)
2009
"Mono, Poly, Concrete", Konzett Gallery, Vienna (A)
"Veronika Dirnhofer/Christian Eisenberger", Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld (A)
"Two abysses, Christian Eisenberger and Wolfgang Ernst", Galerie Kunst & Handel / Galerie Konzett, Graz (A)
"eisi full moon 9925/20347/11355", Rauchsalon, Vienna (A)
"CHAOS AND FORM", Gallery Hummel, Vienna (A)
"Imagineering. Shopping worlds as performance space", Markthalle am Lendplatz, Graz (A)