Artwork
Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past 2010
Light and audio installation
Lamps, speakers
Strau creates sculptures using modified domestic lamps in a highly subjective manner, revealing personal stories and recollections. He often distributes his writing by directly pasting his text onto selected light shade stands. He has created a sculptural theatre with a group of awkward, elegant and complex lamp personas.
State Library of Queensland location: Level 1 (infozone)
Shanghai Library location: Entry foyer garden
The artist invites you to take your own copy of the Chinese and English posters that accompany Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past.
Strau’s poster features the 7 Lamp Memoirs that can be heard in his installation. At the State Library of Queensland, the lamps recited the English version, and at the Shanghai Library, the Chinese texts were read.
You may download either version below, and print your own version of the artwork (poster dimension is A1).
Download the English version of Josef Strau’s Poster
Download the Chinese version of Josef Strau’s Poster
Listen to Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past.
Chinese audio
Listen to Lamp 1
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Listen to Lamp 2
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Listen to Lamp 3
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Listen to Lamp 4
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Listen to Lamp 5
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Listen to Lamp 6
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Listen to Lamp 7
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Artist’s C.V.
Born Vienna, Austria 1957
2002-present
Curator of Galerie Meerrettich in the Glass Pavillion at the
Volksb Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin
2004
Co-curated Now and Ten Years Ago Kunstwerke, Berlin
Solo Exhibitions
2009
The Space of Words, MUDAM, Luxemburg
Rowley Kennerk Gallery, Chicago
Contemporary Art Museum, groupshow, Saint Louis
2008
18 Inquitites, Greene Naftali, New York
iamb: the limbo of vanity, Vilma Gold, London (with R.H. Quaytman)
Malmö Konsthall, Malmö
2007
Voices, Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Cologne
Why Doesn’t My Plant Grow Anymore? Vilma Gold, London
Josef Strau, Dependance, Brussels
2006
Dont Climb the Pyramids, Greene Naftali, New York
c/o Anna-Catharina Gebbers, Ziegelstrasse, Berlin invited by Yilmaz Dziewior
2002
Nazis of Suburbia, Greene Naftali, New York
1998
a, Galerie Christian Nagel, Cologne
Group Exhibitions
2010
The Inhabitants, Vilma Gold, London
2009
The Oriental Therapies, Daniel Bucholz, Berlin
Scorpio’s Garden, Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin, Berlin
Groupshow, Contemporary Art Museum, Saint Louis
Galerie Lelong, New York
Quodlibet II, Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Köln
2008
Novel, Bibliothekswohnung, Anna-Catharina Gebbers curated by Matt Williams, Berlin
Galerie Catherine Bastide & Dependance, Brüssel
Galerie Catherine Bastide and dependence, Brussels
Manifesta 7, The European Biennal of Contemporary Art, Trentino, South Tyrol, Italy
One Season in Hell, Mehringdamm 72, Berlin
It’s Gonna Rain, Maison populaire, Montreuil, France, curated by Christophe Gallois
2007
Shandyismus, Secession, Vienna, Austria
2006
…:ICAL KRBBR PRDLY PRSNTS GART JAS, JON KLSY, JOSF STRA curated by Michael Krebber, Portikus, Frankfurt, Germany
Looking Back, White Columns, New York
Next to Kin, Daniel Buchholz, Cologne, Germany
La maman et la putain curated by Eva Svennung, Air de Paris, Paris
Our Marvellous Ambition, Vilma Gold Project Space, Berlin
Make Your Own Life: Artists In and Out of Cologne, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; curated by Bennett Simpson (Additional Venues: Power Plant, Toronto; Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, 2007); (catalogue)
Von der Abwesenheit des Lagers, Kunsthaus Dresden
2005
The Gone Wai, curated by Tobias Buche Gagosian Gallery Berlin
Possession, Paul-Linke-Ufer, Berlin curated by Dominique Eichler
2004
Mg, Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Cologne
Zeichnungen, Werkleitzbiennale, Halle curated by Ariane MFligen Arbeitsschutz,Wandbilder, WBD, Berlin, Editionen 4 Jahre WBD, Berlin
2003
Photo +, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York
Photo +, Prague Biennale 1
2002
The Nazis of Suburbia, onomien der Zeit, curated by Hans-Christian Dany and Astrid Wege, Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Pictures, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York
2000
The Inheritage, Video for Coal By Any Other Name, organized by S. Dillemuth, Colin De Land Fine Art, New York
hey, international competition style, TENT, Rotterdam curated by Amelie von Wulffen und Dirk Schmidt
Produktivit�und Existenz organized by “Die Beute”, Bethanienhaus, Berlin
Deutsche Kunst in Moskau, Central House of Artists, Moscow
Snowflake Office organized by C. KrÔøΩ Greene Naftali Gallery, NewYork
1999
The Castle, (with Amelie von Wulffen), Snowflake Office, Galerie WalbrDorf
1998
SUUM SUUN AKVY `73, Laden Schillerstr. 32, Berlin
Kunstb60, Wien with The Nazis of Suburbia
1997
Die krumme Pranke, Video with A. Creischer, A. Siekmann, A. von Wulffen
1993
Friesenwall 120, Cologne, co-curated with Stefan Dillemuth 1990-1993
Galerie Christian Nagel, Cologne, Pat Hearn Gallery, New York (with S. Dillemuth)
Parallax View: New York-Cologne at P.S. 1 Four Walls, New York (with S. Dillemuth)
1991
Galerie Christian Nagel, Cologne
Kunstraum Daxer, MÔøΩ (with S. Dillemuth)
1990
Raum Masse 10, Hamburg (with C. von Bonin)
Josef Strau（奥地利／纽约）
台灯讲述往事的剧场
Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past 2010
灯光和音频装置
台灯，扬声器
Strau的雕塑作品通过改造过的家庭式台灯来重现高度主观的私人故事及回忆。他经常以将文字直接帖在灯罩上的形式来发表文章。他以一群笨拙的，高雅兼复杂的台灯角色来创作了一个雕塑剧场。