Thomas Hirschhorn | Artnet (original) (raw)
(Swiss, born 1957)
Biography
Thomas Hirschhorn is a contemporary Swiss installation artist. Working in a wide-ranging interdisciplinary practice, his oeuvre confronts issues of political discontentment in a manner similar to David Hammons or Joseph Beuys. He uses familiar, universal materials—cardboard, duct tape, plastic—to create dense, site-specific environments. One of his most celebrated works, Gramsci Monument (2013), functioned dually as a community center and monument in the Bronx’s Forest Houses Projects. The project was inspired in part by the writings of the Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci, and was Hirschhorn’s first installation in the United States. The artist has said that his work is “not about hope, or about creating points of stabilization, it is about showing my disgust with the dominant discourse and showing my contempt for the fascination with power.” Born on May 16, 1957 in Bern, Switzerland, Hirschhorn received his formal training at the Zurich University of the Arts and initially found work as a graphic designer in Paris. Today, his work can be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate in London, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, among others. Hirschhorn lives and works in Paris, France.
Thomas Hirschhorn
Sale Date: July 11, 2024
Auction Closed