Jankowski works with photography, painting, sculpture, video and mainly performance. He explores the interaction between people and the different communication systems around them, perceiving art as one of the most effective and yet vulnerable forms of communication there is. He uses knowledge, history, politics and thinking to approach art in a rather mocking and humorous tone. He largely works with performances (literally and figuratively speaking), with thoroughly calibrated, interactive settings that sometimes include unprepared collaborators: televangelists, fortune-tellers, border guards and professional magicians who naïvely collaborate with the artist and end up becoming "co-authors" of his large body of work. The collaborative nature of Jankowski's artistic practice is crucial, since each collaborator unintentionally gives his/her own touch to the piece. The journey and the destination are equally important. Furthermore, the risks and opportunities associated with Jankowski's collaborations result in amazing works, be it a photograph, a painting, a sculpture or a video-installation. By hunting goods in the supermarket with a bow and arrow (The Hunter, 1992), turning a gallery into a home makeover-style TV show (The Perfect Gallery, 2010) or selling a speedboat as an artwork at an art fair (The Finest Art on Water, 2011), Jankowski shows he is not scared of pointing the camera, canvas or microphone at him. He is keen on fun yet far-reaching projects, so he turns to the structure of society itself and starts questioning the notions of authorship, property, originality, modesty and authenticity, which otherwise could be taken for granted.
Read MoreJankowski studied at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (Germany). He has displayed his works at solo and group shows for some of the world's leading art venues and he has also taken part in some of the most prestigious art fairs worldwide. In addition, he took the helm as the curator for the 2016 Manifesta 11 biennial and thus became the first artist to ever curate the event.
Text courtesy Galería Pelaires.
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Looking out over Lake Zurich, artist Christian Jankowski discusses his Joint Ventures curatorial concept for Manifesta11. The 11th edition of the 'European biennial' Manifesta will be on display until 18 September 2016.
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