Urs Fischer

Urs Fischer is a Swiss Conceptual artist renowned for his large-scale sculptures and installations. Fischer's artistic pursuits are fueled by a fascination with the collision of random objects, illustrating his deep interest in the "inner mechanics of duality." When combining objects or materials for his artwork, he explores the consequences of the encounter between two specific elements within an imagined space.

Biography of Urs Fischer

Born in Zurich in 1973, Urs Fischer's youth was marked by concerns from his parents due to his neglect of school homework and his decision to forgo university, opting instead to enroll in a technical skills college. His father, who spent leisure time rebuilding their 160-year-old house, imparted knowledge of Swiss carpentry and craftsmanship to Fischer, skills he later utilized in his career as an artist.

Fischer pursued Art and Design at the Schule für Gestaltung in Zurich, a general arts-and-crafts academy. Despite developing a passion for photography, he sensed that something was missing. During this period, he crossed paths with Scipio Schneider, a graphic designer, marking the beginning of their enduring collaboration. After two years in the photography course, Fischer left school.

At nineteen, he visited friends in Amsterdam in 1993, discovering a vibrant hub for contemporary art, unlike Zurich. In Amsterdam, he learned English and received a grant to study art at a small school led by Dutch artists.

In 1996, Fischer held his inaugural solo exhibition at a Zurich gallery. Initially invited to participate in a group show by gallery director Eva Presenhuber, he declined, expressing dissatisfaction with the other featured works and voicing suspicions about gallery presentations. Presenhuber found his work to be peculiar—hand-made sculptures in an era dominated by conceptual and appropriative art. She offered him a solo show, and despite initial hesitancy due to his lucrative work constructing film sets, Fischer ultimately accepted. The showcased works included an apple and pear fastened together, two chairs appearing to engage in copulation, and a collapsing cinderblock wall constructed atop a bed of decaying fruits and vegetables. A year later, as Presenhuber became a partner in a larger gallery, Fischer emerged as one of her primary artists.

Following his breakthrough in the mid-nineties, the artist gained prominence on the international art stage. From 2000 to 2004, he exhibited at notable galleries such as Sadie Coles HQ in London, Gavin Brown's Enterprise in New York, Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, and the Modern Institute in Glasgow. European collectors and galleries expressed interest in his work from the 2000s onward, facilitating sales through auction agents.

In 2004, Fischer established a residence in Manhattan, commuting to his studio daily. Upon relocating to a new studio in Brooklyn's Red Hook area in 2007, Fischer dedicated time to renovating the expansive warehouse space, including a spacious kitchen, dining area, and offices for his technicians and team. Faced with numerous large-scale and ambitious projects, Fischer enlisted technicians to aid in sculpting and determining the optimal realization of his endeavors. Alongside his assistants, he collaborated with his longtime friend from Zurich, Scipio Schneider, and engaged others in tasks such as digital alterations and advisory roles throughout the artistic process. 

In 2007, Fischer participated in the Venice Biennale alongside Ugo Rondinone and received critical acclaim for his groundbreaking work "You" at Gavin Brown's Enterprise. In 2009, he presented his first large-scale solo exhibition in the United States at the New Museum in New York, spanning all four floors. 

Maintaining a preference for autonomy while nurturing relationships with various galleries and art dealers, Fischer established his publishing company, Kiito-San, based in New York. Through Kiito-San, he publishes catalogs of his work and collaborates with fellow artists and writers to produce books distributed through DAP and Buchhandlung Walther Konig.

In 2012, Fischer held his first solo show with the Gagosian Gallery, presenting the "Problem Painting" series that delved into popular culture and art history through portraits of fruit, nails, and cigarettes. He also exhibited at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Italy, owned by French businessman Francois Pinault, a major shareholder of Christie's Auction House. The show, "Madame Fischer," marked the first solo exhibition by a living artist at the venue.

Urs Fischer's Art Style

By adopting a somewhat skeptical perspective on art history, Urs Fischer prompts a fresh look at artworks. He challenges the boundaries of each genre by distilling art to its fundamental technical elements, urging viewers to contemplate the entirety of an artwork rather than focusing solely on its final appearance.

Fischer's body of work embodies a prolonged exploration of transformation, natural processes, audience participation, and the subversion of traditional sculpture. Notably, his influential wax pieces are initially presented as aesthetically pleasing sculptures, only to be illuminated, inducing a gradual melting and transformation throughout an exhibition, unfolding before the viewers' eyes. The fleeting nature of these works mirrors the human experience with humor and visual cleverness.

Central to Fischer's artistic expression is the use of non-traditional materials, both in their original forms and transformed by the artist's intervention. This has encompassed items such as bread, toys, earth, and various random fodder.