_AFLOAT NO. ONE_

2023

Fragment of damaged carbon fibre und kevlar sail, segments of carbon fiber fishing rods, altered stainless steel boat fittings, nylon boat dock cleats 48 x 68 x 10 cm / 18 7/8 x 26 3/4 x 3 7/8 in Unique

Through solo exhibition _AFLOAT,_ the artist Daniel Hölzl delves into the transformative journeys of carbon and water, fundamental elements of the fabric of life. Water that permeates all organisms, once intertwined with carbon, forms the foundation of life's molecular structures. Hölzl’s work draws inspiration from the philosophical paradox of the _Ship of Theseus_, reflecting on the notion of permanence and the history as well as fluidity of materials. AFLOAT also addresses the ecological challenges posed by petroleum reliance and the presence of floating plastic waste in contrast to the romanticized idea of sailing.

In his series _AFLOAT_ Daniel Hölzl examines the intricate relationship between sustainability, temporality, and transience, focusing on the transformation of petroleum into synthetic fibers. Modern sails, layers of synthetic fibres glued together with resin and therefore nearly impossible to recycle, are given new life in this works. Used, damaged sails are creatively combined with misappropriated objects from the nautical world. By incorporating sails, renowned symbols of freedom and exploration, the artist delves into the history of materials and the fluidity of their meaning.

AFLOAT NO. ONE 

**BYCATCH**

  
2022, A collaboration of Abie Franklin and Daniel Hölzl

  
The installation BYCATCH, by the Berlin-based artists Abie Franklin and Daniel Hölzl, investigates permeable borders between human and non-human agents. Intertwined natural phenomena like pollution, shifting landmasses and the rise of the sea level juxtapose human-made strategies of defence and (self-) destruction. The hybrid landscape offers participants an immersive experience while reflecting: what is a soft, hard or porous border? How can those boundaries be crossed, relocated or removed? And what bycatch are we willing to accept in the process?

BYCATCH

ZENTRUM / CENTER (cycle no. seven) 

Berlin, 2023

parachute silk, pulley system, programmed stepper motor and electric components. 

422 x 230 x 430 cm 

ZENTRUM (cycle no. seven) 

With GROUNDED, the artist presents an immersive and architectural installation that extends across the entire gallery space. In the entrance area, the wingless skeleton of a model DA42-VI aircraft is installed nose-down, suspended diagonally from the ceiling. Titled END-OF-LIFE cycle one, the piece points to the descent of the downstairs gallery space. A sprawling floor installation, END-OF-LIFE cycle two, that is composed of recycled carbon fiber and paraffin wax covers the exhibition floor; it is a fragmentary to-scale visual transfer of the decommissioned runway at Tempelhof airport, Berlin. A series of small-to-large-format paintings made of the same materials, detailing industrial design and aircraft life cycles, hang on the wall, some placed proportionally to resemble airplane windows and others matching the scale of mechanical objects within the space. These themes are reflected in the sculpture titled END-OF-LIFE cycle four, which consists of a wax landing gear and three aircraft tires from an Airbus A300 and a fourth tire in the form of an ephemeral paraffin sculpture that is slowly melting away throughout the course of the exhibition.

  
“Daniel Hölzl’s solo exhibition, is permeated with carbon and wax, crucial substances in the structure and operations of human technol- ogies such as aviation...These materials find their way into Hölzl’s works through a series of wax paintings on carbon fiber, ready-made components, and sculptural parts, all of which are in some way extracted from the aviation industry and connected to notions of being grounded. GROUNDED is not just the presentation of a series of works by an artist, but the creation of a unified yet complex world made up of substances, materials, and forms that reflect the conceptual, historical, and social concerns guiding the artist’s research and practice. By reconstituting the entire gallery as an “aviatorial space,” Hölzl establishes a setting for probing reflections on the connections between nature, science, and industrialization through the overlapping history of aviation technologies and the recently renewed European legacy of war and conflict, highlighting the integral role of petroleum.

While possessing abstract qualities associated with formalism, GROUNDED points to aviation’s dangers and limitations, rendering its exist- ing characteristics like petroleum dependency and utilization in permanent wars around the world as already outmoded, grotesque, and nostalgic.

  
While possessing abstract qualities associated with formalism, GROUNDED points to aviation’s dangers and limitations, rendering its exist- ing characteristics like petroleum dependency and utilization in permanent wars around the world as already outmoded, grotesque, and nostalgic.

We must ask ourselves: What kinds of materials, forms, and sources of energy can significantly enhance our aviatorial abilities while having the least impact on the environment? Can we essentially transition from capitalism to a post-oil economy? What roles can innovation and automation play in these transitions? And what will be grounded in the future?” - Mohammad Salemy

END-OF-LIFE cycle four

With GROUNDED, the artist presents an immersive and architectural installation that extends across the entire gallery space. In the entrance area, the wingless skeleton of a model DA42-VI aircraft is installed nose-down, suspended diagonally from the ceiling. Titled END-OF-LIFE cycle one, the piece points to the descent of the downstairs gallery space. A sprawling floor installation, END-OF-LIFE cycle two, that is composed of recycled carbon fiber and paraffin wax covers the exhibition floor; it is a fragmentary to-scale visual transfer of the decommissioned runway at Tempelhof airport, Berlin. A series of small-to-large-format paintings made of the same materials, detailing industrial design and aircraft life cycles, hang on the wall, some placed proportionally to resemble airplane windows and others matching the scale of mechanical objects within the space. These themes are reflected in the sculpture titled END-OF-LIFE cycle four, which consists of a wax landing gear and three aircraft tires from an Airbus A300 and a fourth tire in the form of an ephemeral paraffin sculpture that is slowly melting away throughout the course of the exhibition.

“Daniel Hölzl’s solo exhibition, is permeated with carbon and wax, crucial substances in the structure and operations of human technol- ogies such as aviation...These materials find their way into Hölzl’s works through a series of wax paintings on carbon fiber, ready-made components, and sculptural parts, all of which are in some way extracted from the aviation industry and connected to notions of being grounded. GROUNDED is not just the presentation of a series of works by an artist, but the creation of a unified yet complex world made up of substances, materials, and forms that reflect the conceptual, historical, and social concerns guiding the artist’s research and practice. By reconstituting the entire gallery as an “aviatorial space,” Hölzl establishes a setting for probing reflections on the connections between nature, science, and industrialization through the overlapping history of aviation technologies and the recently renewed European legacy of war and conflict, highlighting the integral role of petroleum.

While possessing abstract qualities associated with formalism, GROUNDED points to aviation’s dangers and limitations, rendering its exist- ing characteristics like petroleum dependency and utilization in permanent wars around the world as already outmoded, grotesque, and nostalgic.

While possessing abstract qualities associated with formalism, GROUNDED points to aviation’s dangers and limitations, rendering its exist- ing characteristics like petroleum dependency and utilization in permanent wars around the world as already outmoded, grotesque, and nostalgic.

We must ask ourselves: What kinds of materials, forms, and sources of energy can significantly enhance our aviatorial abilities while having the least impact on the environment? Can we essentially transition from capitalism to a post-oil economy? What roles can innovation and automation play in these transitions? And what will be grounded in the future?” - Mohammad Salemy

GROUNDED

**AUSHANG**

  
2021, Berlin, parachute silk, digital mixed flow fan, electronic components 

AUSHANG

LIVE BAIT 

Berlin,

2023, 

Carbon fiber fishing rods, various bundles, 4 - 8 meters in length, connected by boat railing elements/stainless steel, recycled paraffin wax sculpture (1:1 oil barrel) and heating element.

LIVE BAIT 

Zeitfenster / cycle no. four

1 : 1 replica of the sculpture Ball Drop by Walter De Maria wich was part of a series called Boxes For Meaningless Work.

According to the Gagosian the Estate of Walter de Maria forbids the interaction with all the objects shown in their exhibition, regardless of their original intention. Exactly one week after the interactions with the replica in front of the gallery, three days after a group show in London in which this project was also presented and after multiple unanswered social media ‘reach-outs’, the Gagosian posted a video of them dropping the ball into the original sculpture. This piece therefore becomes process art not only via its own inter- rogation of gallery practices but also through the documentation of the actions of the Gagosian itself.

Excerpt from Gagosian’s press release for the Idea to Action to Obtject exhibition in 2019 : 

> “When it was originally shown at the 9 Great Jones Street gallery in 1963, the viewer was invited to take the ball and drop it through the top hole, causing a sharp bang. Here, however, the ball remains static, charged with potential energy, like the solid stainless-steel ball in 14-Sided Open Polygon (1984).”

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Daniel Hölzl