ABOUT

BORN IN CHUR, CANTON OF GRISONS (CH), 1980
LIVES AND WORKS IN LUCERNE (CH)

SVEN EGERT’S ART GROWS OUT OF CURIOSITY—AN ONGOING PLAY AND EXPERIMENT WITH PERCEPTION AND SENTIMENT. AS A DESIGNER WITH A RESEARCH-DRIVEN MINDSET, HE WORKS WITH MATERIALS AS UNASSUMING AS INSULATION FOAM AND POLYSTYRENE. COMBINED WITH PUTTY, ACRYLIC PAINT, AND LINEN CANVAS, THESE ELEMENTS ARE TRANSFORMED INTO COMPELLING ARTWORKS: POROUS, SUBTLY REFLECTIVE RELIEFS THAT INVITE CLOSER INSPECTION. HIS APPROACH TO FORM, COLOR, AND TEXTURE IS ENTIRELY INTUITIVE. HE DOESN’T AIM TO DEPICT ANYTHING SPECIFIC—AND YET, HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHEN HIS PAINTINGS AND OBJECTS ARE COMPLETE.

IF YOU MOVE AROUND THESE WORKS AND LOOK WITHOUT INTENTION—GLANCING AWAY, LOOKING AGAIN, LETTING YOUR GAZE DRIFT, REGISTERING IMPRESSIONS OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE—THEY SUDDENLY GENERATE DEPTH AND THREE-DIMENSIONALITY. THEY SEEM TO MOVE WITHOUT EVER SETTLING INTO FIXED FORMS. FLEETING IMAGES AND SENSATIONS ARISE: A WEATHERED, RAIN-DRENCHED HOUSE FACADE YOU’D WANT TO TRACE WITH YOUR TONGUE; DRY BLADES OF GRASS ON A WINDY, DESERTED HIGHLAND MEADOW; THE SHIMMERING SWIRLS OF A THICK, PUNGENT SUBSTANCE; CLOUD SHADOWS SLIDING ACROSS A SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE; THE SOUND OF EARTHY DUB VERSIONS PRESSED ON SEVEN-INCH VINYL; THE SWOOSH OF THE SURF IN COURBET’S PAINTINGS.

BUT STOP! NONE OF THAT IS ACTUALLY PRESENT IN EGERT’S WORK. WHAT THESE PIECES TRULY ARE IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY: FINELY TUNED SENSORY INSTRUMENTS THAT CEASELESSLY INSPIRE SEEING, REMEMBERING, EXPERIENCING, AND FEELING.

MARIUS NEUKOM

AWARDS, GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES