Harald Kienle

Statement

My works open doors to inner spaces full of fundamental questions about human [existence].

As a sculptor, my aim is to make the entire space more conscious as a spiritual space, as a spatial and human body that describes reality – similar to how musicians use a tone to highlight silence or dancers use movement to emphasize stillness.

After decades of studying stone and sculpture in the tradition of my former teacher, Prof. Wilhelm Uhlig, my materials today include time, wood, paper, ink, and acrylic. What remains is the process-oriented artistic approach, the non-finality of the works, and the relentless drive towards the essence of things.

In my eyes and hands, both agricultural culture and memory culture are (expressive) forms of our being. Inspired, among others, by the communication philosophy of Vilém Flusser, my works often reflect the exploration of the relationship between humans and nature.

Since 2016, I have been increasingly working interdisciplinarily with the "Wood-Sound-Space". Here, the focus is on the moment, the direct experience, the space, the wood in the hand, its smell, the rhythm of the work, the colors, and the frequencies of the images and sounds. During the often days-long work process, conceived, constructed, and heard grids, planes, and axes shift. Insights and perspectives lead to a common concept, with which I continue to work with the participating artists.

This approach creates a holistic experiential space of silence, presence, and immediacy in an era where the outside world is increasingly characterized by speed, efficiency, technology, and noise.

In my paintings, the external environment meets inner landscapes and engages in dialogue with them. My paintings are resting places with shadows cast by storm clouds. In a playfully serious manner, a sea of layers is built up. Often, these become composite wood-image objects. In their layers, they tell of the breaking up of rigid structures through dynamic vibrations. Their individual parts always stand firmly on their own or together perform a shared development.