Martin Wöhrl: From Nose to Tail

Elephant in the Room

"From Nose to Tail" is published on the occasion of the solo exhibition "Elephant in the Room" by Martin Wöhrl (*1974) at Kunstverein Ingolstadt (summer 2020), in which his concrete works played a prominent role. However, the title comes from gastronomy and refers to the complete processing of an animal, from the fillet to the innards to the tail. The artist makes reference to this because he attaches the same value to all of the materials used in his sculptures and also reworks the leftover pieces from his production into ever new combinations. Born in Munich, Martin Wöhrl constructs his sculptures by combining material set pieces of real architecture, whether sacred or profane, to create a dialogue - such as linoleum and brass. At times, it seems as if he is creating spintising dream images. However, in keeping with the basic aesthetic conviction of a minimalist approach to materials, he initially favoured wood, concrete and plaster, piling concrete cubes on top of each other, placing frames on the wall or placing tubes in the room. However, the citing use of architectural elements from sacred or profane contexts, such as a "Gothic" rose window, has led to extensions in which minimalism clashes with brutalism on the one hand and a disturbing adaptation of historicist appropriation on the other.