Daniel Milohnic, Sleeping Buddha, 2009, installation view Kunstverein in Hamburg, Photo: Kunstverein / Fred Dott.

Der Kunstverein
Klosterwall 23
+49 (0)40 32 21 57
Hamburg
Daniel Milohnic, Sleeping Buddha
March 28-December 31, 2009

From Afghanistan to China there are a plethora of Sleeping Buddhas, each of them surrounded by myth or an explanation of why the Buddha is sleeping. The generally accepted explanation for the Sleeping Buddha is that it signifies Nirvana, a Sanskrit word originally translated as "perfect stillness." It has many other meanings, such as liberation, eternal bliss, tranquil extinction, extinction of individual existence, unconditioned, no rebirth, and calm joy.

The Sleeping Buddha by Daniel Milohnic (*1969, lives in Frankfurt am Main) forms an interface between the two floors of the Kunstverein. The sculpture acts as substantive and visual link between exhibitions: whereas in her exhibition Tatiana Trouvé addresses the aspect of “analysis” and in his Kostis Velonis addresses “politics,” the work of Daniel Milohnic focus on the element of “faith.”

The work stands for an anti-authoritarian approach to art. The indifference of the Buddha and the properties associated with him places him as a structural object in a symbolic order. Taken out of his original, religious context, he is no more than an empty envelope, a perfect promise of an indefinite “more.” The promise can be fulfilled only by observers in personal postulation.

The work accompanies the annual programme of the Kunstverein, underlining the communicative aspirations of the institution. The goal is to capture the interest of people who generally have little to do with art and to reach out to broad sections of society. The focus is on accommodating a lack of knowledge about contemporary art, with the aim of addressing all ages and micro-communities in the city. In the figurative sense of the word “Buddha,” the programme of the Kunstverein seeks to capture attention, to question established knowledge, and permit new perspectives on contemporary art.

With its vast dimensions — 15 m by 3.5 m — the sculpture changes perceptions of spatial proportions, transforming the foyer into an exhibition space. This not only abolishes the distinction between circulation and exhibition space but also provides a solution for the low visibility of the Kunstverein foyer. In this area, locality-related works will be shown in an annual rhythm that constitute an offer of communication and which invite a multitude of associations.

Daniel Milohnic's recent exhibitions include: 2008 Outdoor Gallery of the City of Gdansk, LKW Gallery Danzig, 2006 Deutschlandscape, Victoria & Albert Museum, London; 2005 Palast der Republik, Berlin; 2004 Metamorphosen, 9, Architektur Biennale Venedig, German Pavillon.