Peter Friedl

Exploring a range of genres, media, and display forms, Friedl's works aim to delve into the construction of history and the concepts inherent in our political and aesthetic consciousness.

Peter Friedl's Art Style

Peter Friedl's artistic practice aims to establish novel models of narration where time, permanent displacement, and critical intimacy all hold central significance.

Friedl frequently incorporates theatrical representation and poetics in his works, such as scale models, tableaux vivants, props, puppet theatre, and restaging. Through these methods, he emphasizes hidden or overlooked mechanisms inherent in historiography, language, and cultural identities.

Archival rigor serves as the primary organizational strategy in certain long-term projects, where strict chronology and other principles of order challenge notions of visibility and context. In Friedl's oeuvre, drawing functions as a lyrical voice, documenting and commenting on both personal and socio-political histories with equal importance.  

Friedl challenges conventional genres and codes with a clear critical intent. He is renowned for his photographic works produced in locations such as South Africa, Haiti, Brazil, and other places tied to Europe's colonial history.