Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Toni Spyra’s Thought-Provoking Installations of Objects out of Context

Linz, Austria based German artist Toni Spyra transforms the stuff we see and use everyday into conceptual installations and sculptures. His works have appeared on the streets and in places where objects are completely out of context and with a twist of humor, provoking us to consider their usefulness beyond their design. Of his work's amusing qualities, Spyra says that he sees jokes as a perfect approach to art- though his kind of work may not strike a chord with everyone who encounters it, is it undeniably attention-grabbing for its unconventionality.


“AMBITION”

Linz, Austria based German artist Toni Spyra transforms the stuff we see and use everyday into conceptual installations and sculptures. His works have appeared on the streets and in places where objects are completely out of context and with a twist of humor, provoking us to consider their usefulness beyond their design. Of his work’s amusing qualities, Spyra says that he sees jokes as a perfect approach to art- though his kind of work may not strike a chord with everyone who encounters it, is it undeniably attention-grabbing for its unconventionality.


“CONSUMPTION”

By displacing things like the McDonald’s arch, ATM machines, carpets, horse saddles, staircases, and even food, Spyra intends to irritate his viewers where we are disconnected from what is familiar, and uncover what he calls a “hidden potential” in things. The title of each project points to a concept that the artist is taking into question; ideas like environmental cleanliness (“Tidy”), social withdrawal (“Leave Me Alone”), heaven and religion (“Heaven”), and the outcomes of our career goals (“Career”).


“HEAVEN”

In his artist statement, Spyra explains: “This paradox signals change the perceptual habits of the viewers – simultaneously the recognition is promoted. At the moment of attention the audience discovers a new way of seeing and thinking as well as new using approaches. At second glance, the overall image becomes accessible and the viewer realizes how Toni Spyra conveys his own concerns about social problems and human habits.”


“ATM”


“CAREER”


“DIRTY”


“HIGH HORSE”


“LEAVE ME ALONE”


“LIABILITY”


“NEGLECT”


“SIMULATOR”


“SOUP”


“TIDY”

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Amsterdam-based collage artist Handiedan recently visited Berlin to add her contribution to Urban Nation's Project M, arguably one of the coolest buildings in the German capital. The arts organization has been inviting artists to create window installations and large-scale murals (see our coverage of Eine's recent piece there) and Handiedan recently made her mark on the multi-story facade with an enormous, wheat-pasted mural. While her typical work consists of smaller-scale, textured collages of vintage pin-up girls with baroque flourishes, she seamlessly adapted this style to a larger format. Check out her piece and stay tuned for more coverage of her upcoming solo show "Vesica Piscis," opening at Seattle's Roq La Rue this Thursday.
When it comes to creating a compelling work of art, in the case of Kobi Vogman, no structure, location, or material is considered off limits. Based in Jerusalem, Vogman is a muralist, illustrator and animation director who works in harmonious collaboration with his environments to create narratives which explore the relationships we have with our histories, cultures, and ever-changing landscapes.
Turin, Italy based artist "PixelPancho" is well known for his retro-futuristic murals and multi-media works featuring whimsical, steampunk-like subjects. Previously featured here on our blog, works combine an ancient feeling, added by a palette of earthy color tones, combined with modern characters inspired from the science fiction works of American author Isaac Asimov and Japanese manga like Mazinger Z and UFO Robot. Reccuring characters in PixelPancho's work are colossal robots, often painted in various stages of disrepair, rusting giants that have succumbed to decay. PixelPancho sees his robots, steel humanoids created in our image, as a metaphor for man's attempts to be closer to "God".
A biographical fact Nychos often mentions in interviews is that he grew up in a family of traditional Austrian hunters. This explains the artist's lack of squeamishness: He seems to relish inventing characters and then slicing them open for his viewers to see. While it may be extreme for some, his grotesque display of cartoon violence speaks to the image-saturated, short attention spans of millennials who grew up on a steady diet of Ren and Stimpy and Ninja Turtles. Hot off the heels of his solo show at Fifty24SF in San Francisco, the artist recently traveled to Sao Paolo paint a new mural dubbed "Horsepower." The title is a nod to Nychos's energetic aesthetic and notoriously high-speed painting process. See progress photos of the new piece after the jump.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List