CHAINS: An Exhibition by Franz Klainsek
Franz Klainsek: CHAINS addresses societal issues and illusionary boundaries; the conflict between mental entrapment and mental liberation. The exhibition is composed of Copper wall sculptures, a Chain installation, and a Performance film. Franz Klainsek introduces an oxidation process to this body of work. The process represents a commitment to transformation. The evolution of self. Patina embodies the sculptures as Franz Klainsek transcends the raw cuts within the copper plane. The work resides in depths of simplicity, while revealing a continuous transformation. A massive installation composed of hundreds of feet of chains commands the exhibition space.
New York, NY – Franz Klainsek: CHAINS addresses societal issues and illusionary boundaries; the conflict between mental entrapment and mental liberation. The exhibition is composed of Copper wall sculptures, a Chain installation, and a Performance film. Franz Klainsek introduces an oxidation process to this body of work. The process represents a commitment to transformation. The evolution of self. Patina embodies the sculptures as Franz Klainsek transcends the raw cuts within the copper plane. The work resides in depths of simplicity, while revealing a continuous transformation. A massive installation composed of hundreds of feet of chains commands the exhibition space.
“We are not mentally enslaved, we choose to be mentally enslaved. In the entrapped mind, which is easily influenced by surroundings, we become robots; we become one with the chaos of all who are mentally enslaved. We loose the power of decision, creativity becomes nonexistent, and our individuality sees its demise. We no longer stand distinctly, we merge as one in the crowd of a mentally conquered society. The human mind is born free; we are in charge of thoughts and experiences. In letting go of everything that is not serving us; we break free and become whole again.”
Franz Klainsek is a self-taught American artist of Cuban and Austrian descent. His work is physical and emotional -- it resides in the space between body and mind, feeling and thought. Klainsek addresses societal programming and its systematic effect on the human mind. Large scale sculptures and installations often include references to man’s struggle to find Truth within a "programmed" society. His endurance art pieces bring awareness to societal issues that "cause suffering or keep us from being free." Klainsek uses art as a vehicle to express his Truth, seeing the work as an eye opener, "an awakening", to what is overseen, rejected, or “numbed." The work is a raw and direct interpretation of Franz Klainsek’s studies of the subconscious mind and life experiences to date. Klainsek’s influences are profound while his questions remain primal and instinctive. What are we? Who are we and why are we here? A man who carves his own path. Franz is undeterred and sincere.
“An intellectually inclined artist with a penchant for riveting contrasts and eclectic mix of techniques, Franz Klainsek is revolutionizing our thinking via intriguing juxtapositions of rainbow-alike emotions that come to certify once again his deeply introspective relationship with the core of human sentiments. His art is a feeling and its interactive character entices us to become part of the creation process by participating with our whole being to the finish outcome of ‘painting’ feelings and emotions and subsequently respond in our own way to the ultimate expression of the respective moment. Klainsek’s art is experiential: he is trailblazing the ‘Art of the Future’ where the audience itself is encouraged to pioneer its own way towards the ultimate attainment of a multi-sensory connection to the art perceived as self-knowledge. And this ‘Shaman of colors’ is poised to reinvent the dialogue between art and its spectators in an exhilarating way.”
— Virgilia Virjoghe, Writer, New York City, 2019
“THE NEW HG CONTEMPORARY EXHIBIT IS OFF THE CHAIN” — The Daily Front Row
