Leipzig-based artist Florian Schurz is something of a visual ethnologist. Compelled by an insatiable drive to access new perspectives, he inhabits disparate spheres of experience. This exploration unfolds in his process of creation—experimenting with installation, video art, and film as tools to facilitate critical inquiry. Such endeavors yield a body of work rife with captured moments and feelings, while also questioning accepted ontological truths. For Florian, art is a means to penetrate the illusive contours of our contemporary world.

Remembrance of things past

Before studying art, Florian was on track to become a social worker. After getting his bachelors and working two years in the field, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with occupying an ancillary role. He yearned to regain control over his environment and his life; to engage more directly with other people and spaces. All the while, he felt consumed by a precipitous call to create something. Through meeting other artists, he soon realized that it was in fact possible to actualize a creative vision, even to modify his career trajectory. Reflecting back, Florian divulges, “I discovered this community aspect of art—celebrating and creating together; when you get together, you can do things.”

images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by artist

From 2012 to 2018, Florian attended the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art in Halle. During that time, he began an ongoing journey of self-discovery through artistic practice. In an early documentary short “Mr. Meier” (2014), Florian pursues a morsel of insight behind a personal fixation. A mysterious motel piqued his initial interest, which then led him to traverse the private life of its owner. Narrating off-camera to fragmented shots of his dwelling, Mr. Meier takes us on an intimate journey through lost time. Florian envisions his film as “a little poem about life and death; how we follow our dreams and get disillusioned and yet try to keep on going. It also reveals the beauty in this kind of failing.”

Constructed encounters

In all aspects of life, Florian devises spaces from which to generate authentic connections. In his 2017 experimental documentary “Above All Things,” he captures a series of conversations between himself and a crane operator. Set within the confines of a crane cabin, the dialogue organically devolves into a discussion on religion as they compare differing perspectives. For that space and time, they forge a fortuitous bond and begin to learn from one another. As if to document an auto-ethnography, Florian assembles a collective story through constructed encounters betwixt an unlikely pair.

At the root of Florian’s practice lies an extensive process of research. Animated by a feeling or conversation at the outset, he proceeds to read theoretical or historical texts from which to build a foundation for observational fieldwork. To better understand some aspect of a phenomena or microcosm, he will often occupy the role of his subject. This immersive method not only cultivates intimate relationships with his subjects, it also helps him develop first-hand knowledge of their lives. In one such project, Florian devoted four months to working as an undercover cameraman onboard a cruise ship. Though abandoned in development, the piece sought to grasp the peculiar class dynamics between the crew and guests, proffering a vibrant tableau of latent absurdities.

A shift in perception

Inspired by the likes of Tino Sehgal and Werner Herzog, Florian aspires to create experiences that stimulate a shift in perception. As one of the local residents here at PILOTENKUECHE, Florian embraces the contingencies of the shared art space. “I see PK as a great opportunity to play with things; to play around with the material, see where it goes, and try something that might not be perfect.” 

With his latest video installation “In Touch” (2021-22), for example, Florian constructs an immersive reimagining of a hypothetical state of nature. Combining video animations of photorealistic male avatars with amorphous latex objects, Florian imbues the space with an uncanny allure. The objects are arranged as seats for both the avatars and the spectators, establishing a shared site for identification. Physically removed from the damning effects of gendered socialization, the bodies are rendered naked and vulnerable, engaging in intimate conversations amongst themselves. In subverting traditional assumptions of masculinity, Florian explores the radical possibility for alternative subjectivities.

written by Antonia Glaser

Keep up with the latest from Florian through his website and instagram.

PK & Friends / Open Studio / BYOBuffet

Fri 4 Nov
7-10

talk by curators, Claudia Caletti and Mary Osaretin Omoregie

PILOTENKUECHE
Franz-Flemming-Str 9
04179 Leipzig

Pleasure Seed

Sat 17 Dec 7-10PM
ARS AVANTI
Alte Handelsschule
Giesserstr 75
04229 Leipzig