GOTTFRIED BECHTOLD

A series of photographs from 1971 documents the working process at the time, where casting molds were taken directly from the original to create an object — a Porsche made of concrete. A recurring phenomenon in Bechtold’s creation of art is the aestheticization of everyday objects — in this case the automobile.

The artist’s ongoing engagement with the automobile is closely linked to his fascination with its inherent paradox: Invented to enhance mobility and the efficiency of transportation, today the car represents the chaos that results in accidents, traffic jams, and ecological problems. Bechtold addresses this ambiguity in his sculptural works, such as crashporsche (2001) — a heavily demolished vehicle.

The Porsche brand especially is seen as the epitome of lightness, speed and dynamism—qualities that Bechtold subverts with his concrete sculptures, turning them into their opposites: heaviness, lethargy and immobility. This tension between speed brought to a halt and form preserved for eternity is further heightened in his Porsche works wrapped in protective covers.

Simultaneously, Bechtold explores the principles of sculpture. In the concrete group Rebirth (1996), the creative process itself is addressed, as the vehicles are still partially connected to their casting molds—a reference to the artistic process of creation. The choice of materials also reflects this interplay. In addition to concrete, Bechtold uses plaster, porcelain, or bronze, exploring the relationship between materiality, form, and their effect.