source: contemporaryartdaily

In Stefan Löffelhardt (born in Biberach an der Riß in 1959, lives and works in Düsseldorf), the Galerie im Taxispalais is playing host to a German sculptor who has developed an artistic oeuvre investigating the traditional subject of landscape in a consistently unusual way over recent years. His perception is a landscape of ideas or the soul, which he interprets as a communicative landscape of our society. Löffelhardt contrasts apparently architectonic, autonomous sculptures – as synonyms of constructed space – with open, seemingly incom- prehensible structures, which he combines in installations to create a heterogeneous unit. He develops dialogues within his images by using an antagonistic layout of horizontal and ver- tical elements, which resemble fragments of thought. The landscape arrangements always present the viewer with images of futility, of new beginnings, and moments of failure.

After training as a sculptor (1982-1985), Stefan Löffelhardt studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Munich from 1985-1989 and at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1990-1994. He received a grant from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes from 1989-1994; a Karl Schmidt-Rottluff fellowship from 1996-1998, and a grant from the Stiftung Kunstfonds, Bonn, in 2004/2007. Exhibitions (selection): 1998 “Fellow of the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Foundation”, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf; 1999 “Pico”, Galerie Ute Parduhn, Düsseldorf; 2003 “Blachfeld”, Cuxhavener Kunstverein; 2004 “Blachfeld Stücke”, Galerie Aurel Scheibler, Cologne; “Zwischenwelten”, Kunstmuseen Krefeld/Museum Haus Esters, Krefeld; 2005 “Invited”, Murray Guy Gallery, New York; 2006 “Big City Lab”, Art Forum Berlin; 2007 “Photographic Works”, Galerie Lionel Hustinx, Liege; “SkulpturSkulptur”, Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr; 2008 “Wohnung”, Galerie Ute Parduhn, “Stefan Löffelhardt”, Galerie Scheibler Mitte, Berlin; 2009 “Coming into Focus”, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, USA.