Valentin Ruhry, born in Graz, Austria in 1982, has worked primarily in sculpture. In an analytical, scientific approach, he creates works inspired by technological achievements though it is often the out-dated, obsolete ideas once believed to be visionary that inspire him. Regularly examining the formal and aesthetic aspects of objects, one of his major themes is light and its modulation of volume as well as physically measureable qualities such as tension, force, and friction. For Fünf Räume, Ruhry presented two new works: Adaption was created specifically for the Austrian Cultural Forum New York and is directly inspired by the building’s unique architecture and materials. The second work, Hello World, is composed of scores of illuminated rocker switches, and speaks to both an interest in vintage technology and the visual language of Minimalism. Ruhry, a graduate of the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts, currently lives and works in Vienna.
Ruhry's piece Hello World caused quite a stir when a blog wrote about it. It went viral in mid-June 2011, with the internet atwitter with all things Ruhry. Also, though it is not an interactive piece, many visitors were tempted to break the do-not-touch rule, and create their own messages, on what the popular blog Gizmodo called "a giant Lite-Brite for adults."
Valentin RUHRY
Untitled (Hello World) (2011)
On-off switches on MDF panel with oak frame
104.33 inches x 72.83 inches
Courtesy of Collection Cserni and Galerie Christine König, Vienna
Adaption (2011)
Plastic, paint, metal
Dimensions variable
Courtesy Christine König Galerie, Vienna
(Click to enlarge):
- Image by David Plakke
- Image by David Plakke
- Image by David Plakke
