ANDRÉ HEMER

In his practice, Hemer scans physical objects–three-dimensional paint forms or found objects such as flora–en plein air to capture a version of the object, and its surrounding exposure to the natural elements of the sun and sky alongside artificial lights from the scanner.

For this series, the scans were created when the sky was at its brightest and the shift in conditions most captivating. The resulting images of soft pinks, vibrant reds, and deep purples are overpainted and overlaid with three-dimensional sculptural elements to create a deeply layered and luscious form of contemporary landscape. It continues the artist’s inquiries into the bounds of materiality and appearances, creating a body of work that references the digital sublime, one that translates, in manifold routes, physical material into digital form and back.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
André Hemer (b. 1981, New Zealand) holds a PhD in Painting from Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney (Australia) and a MA from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), including a Postgraduate Research Residency at the Royal College of Art, London (U.K.).

He has exhibited widely in New Zealand, Australia, U.S.A. and internationally. Curated exhibitions include NFTism, curated by Kenny Schachter, Institut Co (2021);Watching Windows, curated by Andrew Clifford, Te Uru Contemporary Museum, Auckland (2017); André Hemer – Paintings 2005- 2015, Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua City, New Zealand (2015);Utopian Days, curated by Martin Schulze and Hailey Grenet, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea (2014); and Critical Intent, curated by Gary Sangster and Fan Lin, Guangzhou Art Center, Guangzhou, China (2014).

His work is in the collections of Taiwan Museum of Art; Te Manawa Museum (New Zealand); Christchurch Art Gallery (New Zealand); and University of Canterbury (New Zealand), amongst others. In 2016, Hemer was awarded the prestigious New Paramount Award from the Wallace Arts Trust and the New Zealand Arts Foundation New Generation Award. Artist residencies include: The Studios at MASS MoCA, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (2020); International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York, U.S.A. (2017), Cité International des Arts, Paris, France (2015); Arts Tasmania, Hobart, Australia (2015); amongst others. Hemer is currently based in Vienna, Austria.