23 Jun 2011

BERNARD AMMERER: YOU CHOOSE at Berlin Art Projects

SOLO EXHIBITION AT BERLIN ART PROJECTS

BERNARD AMMERER: YOU CHOOSE
JUNE - JULY 2011

OPENING: FRIDAY, 24TH JUNE 2011, 7PM – 9PM, AUGUSTSTRASSE 50 B, 10119 BERLIN

Berlin Art Projects is pleased to invite you a solo exhibition featuring Bernard Ammerer, which will be opening on Friday, 24th June from 7pm to 9pm. With 'Bernard Ammerer : YOU CHOOSE', the gallery will be showcasing canvas paintings by the Austrian artist in Berlin.

At first glance Ammerer's work appears defined by scenes out of ordinary life: undefined urban landscapes, indicated at times only by geometric shapes, are populated mostly by young people. A second look, however, and the scene recedes into the background, revealing the figures as largely isolated protagonists.

The artist follows a specific pattern in constructing his images and the situations depicted within them. The frequently surreal scenarios always contain two modules – the figure and the space – which rarely stand in direct relation to one another. The space surrounding the figures appears vague, free to be filled and shaped by the viewer's imagination. Language often provides a link between figures and their environment. Words such as 'person' and 'identity' are often consciously employed by the artist, hinting at the work's deeper significance. 'Person' in the philosophical sense of the word refers to the essence of all that is human in the context of Western thought. As a person we are generally understood to be agents within a larger society, have certain freedoms though we are also obliged to take responsibility and overlook the relevance of our actions.

Our 'identity' refers to that which marks us as individuals and the elements of our personality that differentiate us from others. This is not insignificant, and it is always influenced – to varying degrees – by the social norms, outside rules and the expectations defined by others.

In his images Ammerer questions the roles of man and his place in society, inquiring, for example, how – free (in will) the individual is free to act, where does this action meet the necessary compromises, where is it influenced by the expectations of others? With YOU CHOOSE the artist seems to be calling out to us. As if to say that there are indeed spaces, open spaces and room to maneuver beyond all social norms and rules of conduct. It is up to all of us to decide how this will be used and filled.

BERNARD AMMERER was born in Vienna in 1978 and studied law before finishing his studies in painting at the Universität für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna. Ammerer studied in the 'master classes' of Professor Wolfgang Herzig and Professor Johanna Kandl and at the Summer Academy for Fine Arts in Salzburg with Xenia Hausner. Recipient of the 2007 Strabag Art Award, the artist has participated in numerous exhibitions in Austria and around the world. Bernard Ammerer lives and works in Vienna.