Kirjahaku

The latest pocket-sized addition to Swiss photographer Beni Bischof's eccentric text seriesFourth in the series of books by Swiss photographer Beni Bischof (born 1976), Texte 4--printed in the standard pocket size--presents texts from his rich collection of catchy headlines and slogans, absurd comments and off-the-wall remarks.

Beni Boschof draws wild and intuitive on everything within reach of his hands. In this manner he compiled several thick books, all unique, each page an original. Mysterious structures, cross-eyed figures and words, that somehow sound strangly familiar. Cillit Bang, Dash, Omo and Friends combines a selection from the original books into a singular new publication.

Wild, boisterous and humorous – Beni Bischof’s mises-en-scène of his unbridled creative urges deftly combine all kinds of media, everything from wall-sized paintings to filigree drawings and grotesque collages, from surreal objects to outlandish mixed-media sculptures. His trenchant artwork reflects both the banality of everyday life and controversial political issues. Bischof virtuosically leads the viewer out onto thin ice to expose the inner workings of the mass media and the illusions of glamour they manufacture. Texte 2 is the follow-up to Texte 1, another pocket-size volume presenting a mix bag from Bischof’s exuberant collection of headlines, slogans, jokes, junk mail, lyrics, dialogues from movie scenes, aphorisms and a whole lot more – a present-day selection and yet a subjective quintessence of the textual archive he has amassed over the years.

In Meta Cars, Beni Bischof transforms found images of cars into visual distortions. Through digital manipulation and radical simplification, the original shapes are abstracted – reduced to ghostly and ridiculous silhouettes that feel both familiar and alien. The result: automotive hybrids with an almost hypnotic pull. Drawing on the aesthetics of American muscle cars and the TV shows of the 1980s and ’90s, Bischof taps into a retro sense of coolness – reframing it for the digital age with irony, intensity, and unsettling beauty. ??Beni Bischof, based in St. Gallen, is a Swiss artist whose work includes drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and installation.