Wolfgang Laib. Crossing the River

Wolfgang Laib (*1950, D) is considered one of the most important contemporary artists. His work is characterized by a deep relationship with nature and a commitment to simplicity. Eastern philosophies from India have shaped his life and artistic practice since the 1970s. To this day, the artist concentrates on a few cyclical groups of works.

Since his travels to India as a young man, he was inspired by the idea of seeing man as part of a larger whole. He also follows this way of life in his art. The artist is on the trail of the universal, the timeless and works with natural materials such as pollen, rice, milk or beeswax. But he also finds this holistic understanding in our culture. In the juxtaposition of a small mountain of colorful pollen and a Eucharistic box, Wolfgang Laib creates an amazing relationship. The presentation takes place in a laid out field of thousands of rice mountains. As an important food, rice symbolizes vitality and is fundamental to earthly life. With the temporary installation, the artist reveals the spiritual dimension of art and leads us directly to the sources of his poetics.