JEPPE HEIN

Copenhague, Denmark, 1971. Lives and works in Berlin

His projects trace a direct line with minimalist sculptures from the 60’s as well as with later artistic expressions that questioned the authority of museum and gallery spaces. However, Hein’s work cannot be categorised in any of these traditions. The ironic tone of a lot of his projects which plays with surprise elements and uncertainty moved him away from the strict interpretations of minimalism in which the audience did not play a role in the work. On the contrary, the audience of Hein’s works have a fundamental presence and actively participate in each of his projects.

In 2003, for the Venice Biennial, he made a fountain that only worked when people walked past it. For a gallery in Copenhagen he made some seats that moved when people wanted to sit down. He also made some walls that slowly moved, cornering the public. As the artist himself says: “normally I work analysing the way people interfere or not with the work of art, I’m trying to break that distance between the work and public”.