Raphaël Langmair
contact 

How can we flip an unfortunate event into something
generous?

A problem, a misunderstanding, a coincidence as the beginning of new work: it brings about
sculptures that are simple and plain, slightly elusive, and suddenly radical. Not significant at
first sight, they uncover the provocative character of anti-spectacular things. Removed from
their original setting, objects can relate to each other. Blown up into abstraction, just being
there; natural and effortless.

Amid chaos and simplicity, these pieces celebrate the ordinary object in a delicate way.
They express daily phenomena that swiftly pull us out of common routine into the present.
Noticing change in things, e.g. the experience of how glasses suddenly fog up in the
presence of hot coffee. Altering a given perspective into blurriness and with that contesting a
deeply rooted certainty. Oftentimes repeating the same thing over again to expose minor differences. Making ephemeral events last forever and ultimately become timeless.

Liberal arts as resistance to the modern ethos of “total work”, occupying closely every faculty
of modern life. As Josef Pieper put it; ”Leisure implies (in the first place) an attitude of non-
activity, of inward calm, of silence; it means not being ‘busy’, but letting things happen.” (1)

The artist is inspired by the impulse of making. This instant - immediately before something is
done, is still current directly after. Using reality and its objects as raw abstract material, in
which chance can unfold itself, from beauty to catastrophe and vice versa.

(1) Joseph Pieper, ‘Leisure, the Basis of Culture’, 1998.

On Certainty

2 0 2 2
M U L T I P L E >

FLIP
UPSIDE DOWN
AS NEEDED.

untitled (mistake) 2022

L’humour de la réalité

Graphic design
with special thanks to
Dominik Bachmann