Christian Wolther

Christian Wolther

Christian Wolther, born in Oslo, 1964. Norwegian artist and writer, playwright, director and pedagogue, and earlier in his career also theatre critic and art writer. Since 2005 he has been living in France and Thailand besides Norway. In January 2011, Christian Wolther had a major solo exhibition «UNTITLED OCEAN» in The National Gallery of Thailand.^[1]

Work

As an artist he works mainly in an abstract, philosophical or phenomenological tradition and discipline, in painting, but also in photo and video. He uses text to a large extent, usually as the only medium of communication, on both canvases and in installations. Text and especially philosophical text can perhaps be seen as his main medium. Christian Wolther works within many different disciplines.^[2]

As a playwright and director he has operated in areas of scenic minimalism with a clear presence of existential and cognitive philosophy, such as in the plays «Threshold» and «Day Number Eight». In other plays, ensemble play, comedy and cultural criticism are the more obvious elements.

His later works convey a deeper reflection on language and knowledge itself. Language as a medium, and what it means to our conceptions that we interact with and attach to it, how it affects us and the cognitive process. Cultural criticism, language philosophy and the phenomenology of perception, are central elements of his main works.

Christian Wolther says in press material,^[3] interviews and in his catalogues ^[4][5] that art should transcend itself and become attitude and strategy within society and humanity, instead of being limited within the endless production of objects and concepts. "Art should be attitude and strategy because art as objects and concepts are not so philosophically valid or interesting anymore, and because art as an institutionalised practice, just seems to repeat itself." ^[6]

"Art should be society, because society should be art. Art could be humanity, because humanity could be art." ^[7] This is a main concept of Wolther and is presented on his website and in his last major catalogue. "Global world society needs the knowledge and the intellect and the resources of art, science and philosophy. To improve global world society is now more important than art. The intellectual and spiritual and esthetic resources of art and philosophy should influence society. Attitude and knowledge can be seen as a work of art in itself. The future of art is to make art more influential in society and politics. The future work of art could be society and humanity itself." ^[8] These are quotations from the catalogue UNTITLED OCEAN. How art can transcend itself and become more useful in global world society, has been a main concept in the later works of Christian Wolther.

Links

• http://www.christianwolther.com
• http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/art/11939/reflections-on-modern-art
• http://www.scandasia.com/viewCalendar.php?coun_code=th&cal_id=4758
• http://internationalartistsnetwork.ning.com/profile/ChristianWolther?xg_source=activity
• http://www.volapuk.no/litt/Wolther_Christian/Wolther_Christian.html

References

1. ^ http://www.scandasia.com/viewCalendar.php?coun_code=th&cal_id=4758
2. ^ http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/art/11939/reflections-on-modern-art
3. ^ http://www.volapuk.no/litt/Wolther_Christian/Wolther_Christian.html
4. ^ UNTITLED OCEAN. Exhibition catalogue. Christian Wolther, 2011.
5. ^ REFLECTIONS. Exhibition catalogue. Christian Wolther, 2009.
6. ^ UNTITLED OCEAN. Exhibition catalogue. Christian Wolther, 2011.
7. ^ UNTITLED OCEAN. Exhibition catalogue. Christian Wolther, 2011.
8. ^ UNTITLED OCEAN. Exhibition catalogue. Christian Wolther, 2011.

List of selected works

• 2011. UNTITLED OCEAN. Solo exhibition. The National Gallery of Thailand. Catalogue on 270 pages.
• 2009. REFLECTIONS. Solo exhibition. Museum of Art and Culture, Khon Kaen, Thailand. Catalogue on 200 pages.
• 2003. ARIA VARIATA. Film and videoworks, from Norway, France and Sri Lanka.
• 1996. THRESHOLD/ETERNITY HAS BEGUN. Theatre play, performance-art and art installation. MOT International Theatre Festival, Skopje, Macedonia.
• 1996. PERIISSEM NISI PERIISSEM. Performance-art and art installasjon. Paris, Oslo, Athens, Aarhus, Humlebaek.
• 1995. ETERNITY HAS BEGUN. Performance-art and art installation as stunt happening. The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland.
• 1995. HAMLET/TRANSAVANTGARDE. Performance-art and art installation, with 20 young theatre students. Kalmar Slott, Sweden.
• 1994. THRESHOLD. Theatre play. The Norwegian Theatre, Festival of Dramatic Writing, Oslo Norway.
• 1992. DAY NUMBER EIGHT. Theatre play. Black Box Theatre, Oslo Norway.