Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom
11.30.2024 - 03.16.2025
Paul Pfeiffer's artistic practice is distinguished by a profound inquiry into the nature of spectacle, identity, and the intricate mechanisms of image-making within contemporary culture. His oeuvre encompasses a diverse array of mediums, including video, photography, sculpture, and installation, which enables him to delve into the complexities of how images shape our perceptions and experiences.
At the core of Pfeiffer's work lies the manipulation of footage from sporting events, music concerts, and films, which he skillfully edits using early digital software. His creations often reflect on the dualities of veneration and objectification, particularly concerning global icons such as athletes and pop stars. This emphasis highlights the multifaceted roles these figures play within mass culture, drawing attention to the artificiality of media representations and prompting audiences to critically examine their own positions as consumers of such imagery.
Pfeiffer's installations frequently incorporate elements of scale, juxtaposing miniature and larger-than-life formats to disrupt the viewer's relationship with the artwork. This approach heightens awareness of their physical presence in relation to the spectacle. Additionally, his exploration of the architectural forms of stadiums and arenas serves as a critical lens through which he scrutinizes the collective experience of spectatorship. He reveals that these spaces transcend mere venues for entertainment; they are also arenas where societal and political identities are both defined and contested.
The exhibition Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom represents the artist's most extensive presentation in Europe, featuring approximately thirty works that span his prominent career and affirm his status as one of today's most influential artists. This exhibition, which starts in this gallery and continues in gallery 103 also located on this floor, highlights his evolution by presenting iconic pieces that draw upon the dramatic narratives of sports and religion, alongside recent works that address colonial legacies and the complexities of identity. Ultimately, this show not only celebrates Pfeiffer's era-defining contributions to contemporary art but also provides a critical framework for examining the intricate themes of identity, belonging, and the pervasive influence of celebrity culture, underscoring the relevance of his work in our media-saturated society.
Exhibition organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Galleries: 105 and 103
Paul Pfeiffer
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (07), 2000/24
Matte C-print
146.3 x 182.9 cm
Courtesy of the artist and carlier | gebauer
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York; carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
The Exhibition
Paul Pfeiffer
The Pure Products Go Crazy, 1998 (still)
Video installation (color, silent; 15 sec. looped), with projector and mounting arm,
50.8 x 12.7 x 50.8 cm
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from the
Painting and Sculpture Committee and the Film and Video Committee
2000.151
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery,
New York; carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
Paul Pfeiffer
The Long Count (Rumble in the Jungle), 2001
Standard-definition video (color, silent; 2 min., 51 sec.), painted 5.6-inch LCD monitor, and metal armature
15.2 x 17.8 x 91.4 cm
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of David Teiger
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York;
carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
Photo: Luke A. Walker
Paul Pfeiffer
Live Evil (Kuala Lumpur), 2003
Digital video loop (color, silent; 46 sec.), nylon armature, paint, and LCD panel, 6.4 x 7.6 x 8.9 cm
Collection of Walead Beshty, Los Angeles
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York;
carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
Paul Pfeiffer
Morning After the Deluge, 2003
Single-channel digital video (color, silent; 21 min., 3 sec.)
M+, Hong Kong
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York; br />carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
Photo: Zak Kelley
Paul Pfeiffer
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (28), 2007
Fujiflex digital C-print
121.9 x 152.4 cm
Courtesy of the artist and carlier | gebauer
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York; carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane
Paul Pfeiffer
The Saints, 2007
Installation sonore à 17 canaux, projection vidéo en boucle à deux canaux (couleur, muet),
vidéo en boucle sur écran (noir et blanc, muet) et écran LCD, 31 min 19 s
Sammlung Goetz, Munich
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York; carlier | gebauer, Berlin/Madrid; Perrotin; and Thomas Dane Gallery, London.
Photo: Zak Kelley.
Courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).
Paul Pfeiffer
Justin Bieber Torso, 2018
Gmelina wood and paint
65.1 x 48.6 x 23.2 cm
Courtesy of the artist and carlier | gebauer
© Paul Pfeiffer. Courtesy the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery, London
Photo: Ben Westoby
Did you
know that...?
Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom
As part of the Didaktika project, the Museum designs on site and online educational spaces as well as special activities that complement the exhibitions, offering tools and resources to aid appreciation of the works on display ...
Architecture of the Masses
The development of infrastructures in Antiquity for holding sports events or spectacles for crowds to enhance the collective experience led to the invention of stadiums ...