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Julius von Bismarck - Beatle On A Horse, 2024 - Strada Rezia, Ortisei

Julius von Bismarck, Beatle On A Horse, 2024. Stone Pine Wood. 444 x 125 x 233 cm. Commissioned by Biennale Gherdëina 9. Supported by IFA - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. Photo by Tiberio Sorvillo

In his works, Julius von Bismarck investigates the notion of nature as cultural product and social fiction. His research is intertwined with scientific research and takes on various forms: from sculpture to photography, and from installations to performance action videos. In one of his most recent works – The Elephant in the Room (2023) – the artist juxtaposes an equestrian monument dedicated to Otto von Bismarck (the replica of a public sculpture in Bremen) with a taxidermised giraffe, each placed on a pedestal. Unexpectedly, both statues collapse in on themselves, disarticulating until they almost fall over, only to reassemble and become whole again. The project literally and conceptually deconstructs the idea of the monument, focusing on two opposing mythologies: that of German history and that of nature read through the lens of exoticism.

For The Parliament of Marmots, von Bismarck designed a new equestrian statue, installed in the centre of Ortisei. Proudly riding the horse, instead of a victorious warrior there is a bark beetle: a small local beetle that, due to global warming and human (in)action, has infested the forests of the Dolomites in recent years, leading to the disappearance of entire woodland areas. Depicting the insect as a conqueror, with the bark beetle on horseback the artist questions humans as one of the greatest plagues to their own environment. (M.P.)

JULIUS VON BISMARCK

Julius von Bismarck (1983, Breisach am Rhein, Germany) grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and currently lives in Berlin and Switzerland. The negotiation of nature as a socially constructed fiction is a core focus of his work. He completed his studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin, Hunter College in New York, USA, and the Institute for Spatial Experiments. Recent solo shows include: Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; Bundeskunsthalle Bonn; and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. He also took part in various group exhibitions, amongst them: Sprengel Museum, Hannover; Mercosul Biennale, Porto Alegre; Berghain, Berlin; Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt/Main; Antarctic Biennale and Venice Architecture Biennale. In 2008, he was awarded the Prix Ars Electronica and was the first Artist in Residence at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in 2012.

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Julius von Bismarck - Beatle On A Horse, 2024 - Strada Rezia, Ortisei

Julius von Bismarck, Beatle On A Horse, 2024. Stone Pine Wood. 444 x 125 x 233 cm. Commissioned by Biennale Gherdëina 9. Supported by IFA - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. Photo by Tiberio Sorvillo

In his works, Julius von Bismarck investigates the notion of nature as cultural product and social fiction. His research is intertwined with scientific research and takes on various forms: from sculpture to photography, and from installations to performance action videos. In one of his most recent works – The Elephant in the Room (2023) – the artist juxtaposes an equestrian monument dedicated to Otto von Bismarck (the replica of a public sculpture in Bremen) with a taxidermised giraffe, each placed on a pedestal. Unexpectedly, both statues collapse in on themselves, disarticulating until they almost fall over, only to reassemble and become whole again. The project literally and conceptually deconstructs the idea of the monument, focusing on two opposing mythologies: that of German history and that of nature read through the lens of exoticism.

For The Parliament of Marmots, von Bismarck designed a new equestrian statue, installed in the centre of Ortisei. Proudly riding the horse, instead of a victorious warrior there is a bark beetle: a small local beetle that, due to global warming and human (in)action, has infested the forests of the Dolomites in recent years, leading to the disappearance of entire woodland areas. Depicting the insect as a conqueror, with the bark beetle on horseback the artist questions humans as one of the greatest plagues to their own environment. (M.P.)

JULIUS VON BISMARCK

Julius von Bismarck (1983, Breisach am Rhein, Germany) grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and currently lives in Berlin and Switzerland. The negotiation of nature as a socially constructed fiction is a core focus of his work. He completed his studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin, Hunter College in New York, USA, and the Institute for Spatial Experiments. Recent solo shows include: Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; Bundeskunsthalle Bonn; and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. He also took part in various group exhibitions, amongst them: Sprengel Museum, Hannover; Mercosul Biennale, Porto Alegre; Berghain, Berlin; Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt/Main; Antarctic Biennale and Venice Architecture Biennale. In 2008, he was awarded the Prix Ars Electronica and was the first Artist in Residence at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in 2012.