TRIO Sculpture Biennial – Three-dimensional Intern’l Rio Biennial

BIENNALE TRIDIMENSIONAL RIO DE JANEIRO  04.09. – 08.12.2015 

http://triobienal.com
Guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer
http://kielnhofer.com

Lower Austria fish pond lake
Guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer
Water reflection sunset

http://kielnhofer.com
http://guardiansoftime.org
http://kielnhofer.at/blog
http://timeguards.com
http://guardian-shop.com
http://artdesignluxury.com
http://sculpture.pro
http://artfund.pro
http://artprice.pro
http://artnews.pro
http://artshow.pro
http://fotopark.at
http://artpark.at
http://contemporary-art.at
http://lightart-biennale.com

The Guardians of Time – Mysterious Sculptures Traveling the World

By: Art Outside The Lines

The discussion of how human beings came to be on Earth still rages in almost every corner of our globe. This anthropological mystery involves questions of science, religion, philosophy, and even aliens. Some artists use their work to express their own answers to the “big questions”, or to offer a new direction from which to look at ancient mysteries. Austrian artist Manfred Kielnhofer uses his looming “Guardians of Time” as a symbol for some greater force that stands above human beings, regardless of the name different people might give to that “higher power.”

Guardians of Time: The Reichstag, Berlin

Kielnhofer first designed these monk-like sculptures back in 2006 as a kind of homage or statement of belief that human beings are watched over and protected by ancient, god-like forces which occasionally visit the earth. In ancient times, as well as in legendary settings, the “Guardians of Time” are often depicted as cloaked and hooded figures, wise and powerful ancients that control the destiny of humanity and the threads of time itself. Variations on this theme can be found in the Druids of Stonehenge, certain characters in Lord of the Rings, and other sources of popular culture or mythology.  They are creatures of great power, typically not from Earth, and often have a capacity of understanding the universe that dwarfs that of human beings . They are often depicted as mysterious visitors from some far-off place sent to observe, or occasionally intervene in, the progression of humankind.

The artist works within this heady and fantastic background theory and then installs these ominous sculptures in spots of cultural significance, mystical locales, or just places with really good photo ops.

Guardians of Time: St. Marks Square, Venice

The other unusual thing about these Guardians is their very brief presence in these noteworthy locations. Many of them appear for a single day, and are gone by the next, which certainly increases the mystery and spooky quality of the sculptures. Some people are getting once-in-a-lifetime chances to photograph these intriguing sculptures in places where they will never appear in again. That transience is a somewhat unusual characteristic of any work of art, even for installments, due to the quickness with which the Guardians locations are changed. It is as though these Guardians are at the center of a worldwide and extremely challenging game of Where’s Waldo, but Waldo can basically run away to other cities or nations overnight.

Kielnhofer has a few variations of the Guardians of Time, including smaller sculptures which he calls Mini Guards, decidedly less menacing and frightening than their older brothers. Both styles play with the ideas of space and sculpture in a way that few other art exhibitions can. What sort of meaningful elements are added to an installment piece in a completely blank, white gallery? What if you place that sculpture in front of the Reichstag? Or the Statue of Liberty? Or the tallest building in the world?

The artist’s intent and the viewer’s perception and understanding are naturally shaped by the surroundings. These sculptures draw from mysterious subject matter like wizards, alien gods, and even the Nazgul of Middle Earth, so a wide range of response and symbolism will surely be placed on them. The changing setting of the installments only adds to that depth of meaning and artistic vision.

The Guardians of Time and the Mini Guards have done more than just mysteriously arrive and depart in various spots around the world. They have also made significant appearances at Gallery Artpark (Linz, Austria), Art Basel (Switzerland), the Festival of Lights (Berlin), and most recently, the statues played a very visible part in Art Dubai Week 2013. From March 20-25th, the statues popped up in different places each night, keeping both art lovers and critics on their toes to see where the Guardians would be watching from next.

Whether or not you believe in strange visitors from other times, planets, or dimensions coming to oversee the workings of the world, these sculptures would still manage to chill my spine if they popped up in my front lawn overnight.

But what do you think? Has Kielnhofer finally found a way to blend modern art with ancient mystery? Or is this project so injected with supposedly “deep meaning” that it becomes as unrelatable as a shark in a tank of formaldehyde?

http://avantgallery.com/the-guardians-of-time-mysterious-sculptures-traveling-the-world

MANFRED KIELNHOFER

Manfred Kielnhofer, a self-taught artist, works in a wide variety of mediums from painting, film, and photography to performance, installation, and sculpture. Kielnhofer’s work focuses on the human figure, with a special interest in the body’s various forms and movements. He uses the human form as a tool either in place of a canvas or in collaboration to produce large-scale installations or performances.

First created in 2006, Kielnhofer’s Guardians of Time are the most recognizable works in his oeuvre. The first set of these sculptures, made of stone and installed in public places, resembled realistic yet mysterious figures. In isolation or in a group, the cloaked statues intrigued and perplexed viewers as they appeared to be performing a ritual. Furthering the enigmatic nature of the sculptures was the ease of installation – the figures moved so easily and without fuss, making them seem even more real.

In 2012, Kielnhofer created a new series of miniature guardians using plastic, demonstrating that size and scale have no bearing on the effect of his Guardians of Time. To date, Kielnhofer continues to create and install the Guardians of Time sculptures all over the world. In an array of human configurations and colors, the sculptures continue to puzzle those who happen upon these public installations which include the Cass Sculpture Foundation in the UK and most recently in the context of the 2015 Venice Biennale, the Global Art Affairs Foundation “Personal Structures – Crossing Borders” exhibition at the Palazzo Mora in Venice.

http://avantgallery.com/manfred-kielnhofer

Fish bond lake Lower Austria  Guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer

http://kielnhofer.com  http://guardiansoftime.org  http://kielnhofer.at/blog  http://timeguards.com http://artdesignluxury.com  http://sculpture.pro  http://artfund.pro  http://artprice.pro  http://artnews.pro  http://artshow.pro  http://fotopark.at  http://artpark.at  http://contemporary-art.at  http://lightart-biennale.com http://guardian-shop.com  

Large-scale 3d printing project guardians of time by Manfred Kili Kielnhofer
House of inspiration

3x3x3 m, 10x10x10 feet
4x4x4 m, 12x12x12 feet
5x5x5 m, 15x15x15 feet
6x6x6 m, 18x18x18 feet

3d concrete printer:
http://d-shape.com
http://totalkustom.com
http://yhbm.com
http://cybe.eu
http://betabram.com
…

3d Printing Guardians Of Time, Ghost In A Coat by Manfred Kielnhofer, faceless statue, amaising contemporary art sculpture, modern freaky design, funny mystic arts

http://kielnhofer.com  http://guardiansoftime.org  http://kielnhofer.at/blog  http://timeguards.com http://artdesignluxury.com  http://sculpture.pro  http://artfund.pro  http://artprice.pro  http://artnews.pro  http://artshow.pro  http://fotopark.at  http://artpark.at  http://contemporary-art.at  http://lightart-biennale.com http://guardian-shop.com  

Guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer

http://kielnhofer.com
http://guardiansoftime.org
http://kielnhofer.at/blog
http://timeguards.com
http://guardian-shop.com
http://artdesignluxury.com
http://sculpture.pro
http://artfund.pro
http://artprice.pro
http://artnews.pro
http://artshow.pro
http://fotopark.at
http://artpark.at
http://contemporary-art.at
http://lightart-biennale.com

The guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer
10 amazing statues you probably wouldn’t have seen before! | ARY NEWS
10 amazing statues from around the world.
http://arynews.tv/en/10-amazing-statues-you-probably-wouldnt-have-seen-before

http://kielnhofer.com
http://guardiansoftime.org
http://kielnhofer.at/blog/
http://timeguards.com
http://guardian-shop.com
http://artdesignluxury.com
http://sculpture.pro
http://artfund.pro
http://artprice.pro
http://artnews.pro
http://artshow.pro
http://fotopark.at
http://artpark.at
http://contemporary-art.at
http://lightart-biennale.com

Pop up sculpture
Guardians of Time by Manfred Kielnhofer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bcm1fdjdKQ