Andreas Blank
In his sculptural practice, Andreas Blank combines the abstract and the realistic, the conceptual as well as the technical. He sources stones from quarries from all over the world, carves them with elaborate deliberation and assembles them in sometimes consciously stylized, and other times deceptively realistic objects of the everyday. In his precise installations, the apparently ephemeral objects achieve monumental permanence. Whether marble, alabaster, or porphyry, material historically used to serve religious or political functions, has in Blank, his hands acquired a seemingly casual and fragmentary character. The geographical and cultural identity of the stone and the memorial function of stone-sculpture in general refers to the value of each object. Blank questions the obvious and transforms traditional ideals and values on the ordinary and present.
Andreas Blank was born in Ansbach in 1976. He attended the Karlsruhe State Academy of Art (Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste) and was Meisterschüler under Prof. Klingelhöller. He held a scholarship with the German National Academic Foundation and received his MFA from the Royal College of Art in London. In 2009 he was a finalist for the New Sensations Award by Channel 4 and the Saatchi Gallery. Blank lives and works in London and Berlin.
Born in 1976 in Ansbach, Germany. Lives and works in Great Britain and Germany.
EDUCATION
2001- 2006 Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Karlsruhe, Prof. Harald Klingelhoeller
2006-07 Guest student of Andreas Slominski, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste, Hamburg
2007-08 MA Sculpture, Royal College of Art, London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021
- Anatomy of Words II, CHOI&LAGER Gallery, Cologne
2019
- The Imprint of the Space Someone Used 2, Galerie Knecht und Burster, Karlsruhe
- Landscape Metaphor 2, Humboldt-Universität, Geographical Institute, Berlin
- Reverse Metaphysik 2, Sotheby´s Munich, Artist Quarterly, Munich
2018
- ANDREAS BLANK & HELENA PARADA KIM, Choi&Lager, Seoul
2017
- Reverse Metaphysik, Schlicht Barock Fine Art, Feldbach, Austria
2014
- The Imprint of the Space Someone Used, Galerie Christan Ehrentraut, Berlin
- Hors-Champ, Junge Kunst, Wolfsburg
2013
- Landscape Metaphor, Benrimon Contemporary, New York
- Anatomy of Words, Choi & Lager Galerie, Cologne
- The Scene changes to an empty room, De Fabriek, Eindhoven, curated by Laurie Cluitmans and Wijnand de Jonge
2012
- Shadows of Words Spoken, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
- Points of Resistance, Zionskirche, Berlin
- A Rose is a Rose, Artists against FGM, Online Exhibition
2020
- Werke von und um Michael Buthe, Galerie Kleiner von Wiese, Berlin
- Werk im Werk X, Artspring, Berlin
- Elysium, Galerie Kleiner von Wiese, Berlin
2019
- Bonum et Malum, Villa Erxleben, Berlin
- The Coke Side of Art, Galerie Frank Schlag, Essen
- Water(Proof), Momentum, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin
- (curated by Rachel Rits-Volloch & Taniá Guedes)
- In Living Memory (Contemporary Still Life), Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
- Small, Schaufenster, Berlin, curated by Oliver Mark
2018
- Für immer Blau, Kunstverein Duisburg, Duisburg
- Ansbach Biennale, Ansbach Contemporary 2018, Ansbach
- Beauty is Everywhere, Salon Waldorf Astoria, Berlin, curated by Ingrid Manthe
- Die Nächte des Heliogabalus – Hommage to Otto Piene, Schlachthaus.fresh&fine art, Berlin
- NGORONGORO II, Artistweekend, Berlin
- SEGRETE, Palazzo Ducale, Genova
2017
- Fünfklang, Choi & Lager Gallery, Cologne, curated by Andreas Blank and Stefan von Wiese
- Material Boys & Girls Part 2, Bernheimer Contemporary, Berlin
- We all love Art, Schlachthaus Fresh & Fine Art, Berlin, curated by Ryszard Wasko
- Mixed Realities, Bernheimer Contemporary, Berlin
- People Places Things, AT Kearney, Berlin, curated by Ingrid Manthe
2016
- The pleasure of love, 56th October Salon, City Museum, Belgrad, curated by David Elliot
- Why?, Secret Garden, Berlin
- Plastic Obsession, Umweltbundesamt, Dessau
- Umweltfestival, Gasometer, Berlin
- What would I die for?, Bernheimer Contemporary, Berlin
- KIK EIGHT, Kino International, Berlin
2015
- Looking forward looking backwards, Bernheimer Contemporary, Berlin
- Works on Paper III, Momentum Berlin, Berlin
- NGORONGORO, Artistweekend, Berlin
- CREDITS, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin
2014
- Objects in a Room, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin
- Kolibri. Neue Tendenzen an einem aus der Zeit gefallenen Ort, Ballhaus Kolibri, Berlin
- Aus dem Fundus der botanischen Semantik, Cruise & Callas, Berlin
- Always Crashing in the Same Car, Galerie Knecht und Burster, Karlsruhe
2013
- Tresholds, Trafo Kunsthalle, Stettin
The Scene Changes To An Empty Room, De - Fabriek, Eindhoven
- Oh Plastiksack!, Musee de Design et d´art appliqués contemporains, Lausanne
2012
- Carving in Britain from 1910 to Now, The Fine Art Society, London
- Recasting the Gods, Sumarria Lunn Gallery, London, curated by Will Lunn
- Ein weißes Feld, Aschaffenburg, curated by Gregor Hildebrandt, Collection Fiede
- Dividing Line, High House Gallery, Oxfordshire, curated by Vishal Sumarria
- Shadows of Words Spoken, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin
- Memory, International Contemporary Sculpture, Palazzo Arti Napoli,Naples
- Oh, Plastiksack!, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, curated by Ida-Marie Corell, Switzerland
- Stillstehende Sachen aus der Sammlung SOR Rusche, Museum Abtei, Liesborn, Wadersloh-Liesborn
2011
- Stressing Spiritual Needs Even When Selling
- Ice Cream,curated by Salome Ghazanfari, Berlin
- Art Martket Budapest, Anna Grundberg @ Brody House
- Memory, Rosenfeld/ Porcini, London
- Art Cologne, New Contemporaries, Galerie Ehrentraut
2010
- New German Art, German Embassy, London
- Transcending, LARM Galleri, Copenhagen
Posted, London - Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin
- Cocktail, Galerie Frank Schlag, Essen
- Land Securities, Studio Award, London
- The Catlin Prize, London
2009
- New Sensations, Saatchi Gallery, London
- Embassy of Afghanistan, Berlin
- Dt. Bahn Museum, Nürnberg
- We Can Understand The Meaning Better
- Without, St. Pancras Crypt, London
- Volta Show, Basel
2008
- Projectspace M54, Basel
- Optimism, Hannah Barry Gallery, London
- Basement Project, Fred Gallery, London
- Allen & Overy, London
- Lichtfeld 8, Basel
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2009
The Saatchi Gallery, New Sensations, London
Land Securities Studio Award, London
Conran Foundation Award, Royal College of Art, London
2008
Scholarship for Great Britain “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes”
2007
Residency Foundation Vorwerk, Hamburg
2005
Scholarship,Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, Hamburg
ARTICLES, MAGAZINES, CATALOGUES
2012
The Quiet Theatre: An Exhibition in Print, Published in partnership with Sistermag Press
Featuring interviews by Rosanna Mclaughlin with Andreas Blank, Kaye
Donachie, Seth Pick Gedi Sibony and Phoebe Unwin
Andreas Blank, «Shadows of Words Spoken» @ Christian Ehrentraut Review
Tue, 2012-05-22 11:02 — by Rachel Simkover
http://www.bpigs.com/diaries/andreas-blank-shadows-words-spoken-christian-ehrentraut
2011
Rosenfeld, Ian, ed. Memory: Contemporary International Sculpture, Rosenfeld Porcini Gallery, London
Double Interview, Imju Projects, London- Seoul
2010
Corrieri, Claudia: Andreas Blank. In: Land Securities Studio Awards 2010, London, 2010, S.10-11.
Land Securities (Hg.): Land Securities Studio Awards 2010, London, 2010. (Katalog anlässlich der gleichnamigen Ausstellung in der SW1 Gallery, London, 10.06.2010 – 26.06.2010).
2009
Lentati, Alex: Saatchi makes case for young art; New Sensations prize highlights most striking talent in Britain, The Evening Standard, www.standard.co.uk, 9. October 2009, S.26.
Butler, Thomas: Artist’s Statement, Salon Contemporary, 2009.
Dorment, Richard: Venice Biennale 2009: prize collector’s leap of faith, Telegraph, www.telegraph.co.uk, Venedig, 8. Juni 2009.
College students selected for Saatchi, ECA News, www.eca.ac.uk, 15. September 2009.
Miller, Phil: Scottish art school graduates among Saatchi’s sensations, The Herald, www.theheraldscotland.com, 17. Sept 2009.
Der Steinbildhauer aus der Oxford Street, Westmittel-franken, 25.-26. Juli 2009.
New Work, Artworld Magazine, www.artworldmagazine.com, Oktober / November 2009.
2008
Look on the bright side: Optimistic Art, The Independant, www.independant.co.uk, 20. Oktober 2008, S. 16–17.
Still Life | 2021, Marble, Quarzite, 43x23x128 cm
Still Life | 2021, Marble, Selenite (Crystal), Serpentinite, Quarzite, 39x20x110 cm
......Seeing things that are too big to see. | 2021, Installation (after Paul Shepheard, ‘The Cultivated Wil- derness’), 124×107×70 cm
Picture 4 | 2021, Marble, Quarzite, 37x28x3 cm
Untitled | 2020, Marble, 42x32x6 cm
Untitled | 2019, Alabaster, Marble, 40x30x4 cm
After a Conversation 5 | 2018, Marble, Sandstone, 40x30x4 cm
Untitled | 2014, Onyx, Marble, 30x23x2,5 cm