Sculptures of wrecks is a photoseries with 12 large digital fine art prints. They were successfully shown at galery artbits in decmeber 2018.

Description Hochen Bichler:

Progress and prosperity were the results of the biggest invention of an object in the 20th century, the engine in general and the car engine in particular. Automobility and transportation on a bigger scale were provided. For me car wrecks stand for the pollution and exploitation of our planet caused by the excessive use of these engines. This big invention of one object means a major threat to all subjects.
By designing abstract black & white pictures of these wrecks I intend to create images of destruction. But I want to raise them to sculptures of beauty and expression to show this big temptation to destroy our planet.


Text Arno Böhler (Philosopher):

Something happened.
Something promising.
Something, that fed our appetites.
One was enchanted and amused by an object,
dreamt of it, desired it, longed for it.
But finally, something went wrong.
A promise failed.
It was driven against a wall.
Crashed, smashed, hit.
Like a car, after an accident.

Hochen Bichler’s photo exhibition sculptures of wrecks shows us the remains of a series of cars after an accident, in which our collective dreams of auto-mobility have wrecked. One is confronted with cold metallic steel sculptures, testifying in black and white the aftermath of a nightmare. “Release the energy”, says one of the photos sarcastically. As if an obscene temptation would operate behind the scene that forcefully calls us to drive ourselves toward a death end: “It was my pleasure” – “So exciting” – “Ultimate speeding machine”. The slogans on the photos read like commercials. They tempt to please us. As if a pleasure-principle would operate in the middle of our death-drives: “Put yourself at risk! You will enjoy it. Temptation matters…”

Hochen Bichler’s photos are strongly ambiguous precisely because of their superficial beauty and perfect cleanness. One sees no blood, no death body, no curious people watching a disaster. One rather sees highly aesthetical metallic objects, rearranged from the remains of car-crashes. The dream of our human race to constantly increase our velocity has obviously failed. What survives the crash is inorganic waste, combined with crashed emotions. The metallic sculptures, which outlive their creators, stare at us from an alien post-human future that appears after the crash.

Looking at the photos sculptures of wrecks confronts us with a possible time-after scenario, after the apocalyptic event has taken place already. The objects there look like aliens. Some of them possess antennas, some remember us to machine like insects. Though they are relicts of human productivity, no humans are visible anymore. The time of the Anthropocene seems to have passed away. The remaining relicts nevertheless show that there were humans.

Release the energy

Audi A6, 2017, Austria.
Medium: Fine Art Print
Format: 80 x 53 cm
Edition: 6 + II, signed and numbered

Release the energy

So exciting

Mazda Premacy, 2018, Austria
Medium: Fine Art Print
Format: 53 x 80 cm
Edition: 6 + II, signed and numbered

So exciting

Unlike anything

Mercedes C-Class, 2018, Austria.
Medium: Fine Art Print
Format: 80 x 53 cm
Edition: 6 + II, signed and numbered

Unlike anything

Ultimate speeding machine

Opel Astra, 2018, Austria.
Medium: Ffine Art Print
Format: 53 x 80 cm
Edition: 6 + II, signed and numbered

Ultimate speeding machine

It was my pleasure

BMW 3 Series, 2018, Austria
Medium: Fine Art Print
Format: 53 x 80 cm
Edition: 6 + II, signed and numbered

It was my pleasure