Martin Gostner

In German, the word ‘Zapfen’ can mean many things: a cone, as in the female inflorescences of coniferous plants; the cone cells in the retina of the eye; or even an icicle, since the term ‘Eiszapfen’ translates literally as ‘ice cone’. The cones of cotton wool hanging from the trees here subvert these ideas. We associate cotton wool with warmth, purity, softness and silence. In the mounted ‘devices’, we find a combination of stiffness and fuzziness, formlessness and shaping, durability and transience. Despite its precise modelling, this work of art seems mouldable and not finalised; among other things, the weather and the external influences of the park contribute to a constant change.

work in progress

Author: XX
Plan & Overview: Position 76
Owner: Neue Galerie, Universalmuseum Joanneum
Biography: Martin Gostner