THOMAS MAILAENDER : ONLINE

To accompany his exhibition 'The Fun Archaeology' Thomas Mailaender has made a group of 9 small lava pieces included in a concurrent online show of the same title.  

 

Just like his other - larger - lava pieces, the source of images used in these works is the artist's Fun Archive: a collection of absurd, amateur photographs he started amassing from the internet in 2000. The images are then applied onto French lava stone from Volvic using an extremely durable process created for photographs to be printed on gravestone.

 

Once applied to their intended surface or material, and removed from context, the resulting objects are transformed into monuments to contemporary culture. Using humour as provocation, Mailaender's work raises questions not only about the role of the artist, but also about the absurdity of the everyday and the pretensions of the art world. 

 

Thomas Mailaender's work is held in public collections worldwide such as the Musée National de l'histoire de l'Immigration, Paris, FNAC (Fond National d'Art Contemporain), Paris and MONA museum, Tasmania. He has exhibited widely in exhibitions such as Do Disturb (Palais de Tokyo in Paris, 2017), Iconoclasts: Art Out of the Mainstream (Saatchi gallery, London, 2017-8), Performing for the Camera (Tate Modern, 2016), Night Climbers of Cambridge (Festival Images in Vevey, Switzerland, 2014), From Here On (Rencontres d'Arles, 2011), Paris Photo, and will be exhibiting in the Back to the Future show at FOAM museum in Amsterdam in the coming year (19 January - 28 March 2018). Thomas' curatorial work includes Hara Kiri (Rencontres d'Arles 2016) and Photo Pleasure Palace with Erik Kessels (Unseen, Amsterdam, 2017). Numerous Artist books have been published about Mailaender's work and his Illustrated People (AMC/RVB books) was awarded PhotoBook of the Year in the 2015 edition of the Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards.

 

All small lava pieces are unique and from a series of 100.

 

Each piece comes with its own numbered box, accompanied by a signed and dated certificate from the artist.

Take inspiration from Thomas Mailaender's works and share your favourite found image for a chance to win a signed copy of his newly released book "The Fun Archaeology" published by RVB Books. 

 

Rules to enter: 

1- Follow the gallery page here @michaelhoppengallery

2- Make sure to include copyright details when needed and the following tags:

@michaelhoppengallery @thomasmailaender #MHGFun

3- Pass the challenge: tag your friends and challenge them, see who suggests the best one!

 

The winner will be announced on our instagram page on June 14th.