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Paul Hirsch: The Art of Infinite Transformation

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Thursday, 23 January 2025 to Saturday, 22 February 2025

**Paul Hirsch and the Transformation of the Viewer** 

*Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, art historian and cultural scholar, on the work of Paul Hirsch* 

For some time now, reports have occasionally surfaced about visitors secretly rearranging installations in art exhibitions or adding extra elements to paintings. Apparently, those who engage in such alterations are convinced that a work of art is not a closed entity; they may even believe that such interventions are welcomed. After all, they could refer to artists like Yoko Ono or Franz Erhard Walther, who as early as the 1960s advocated for a more democratic and open approach to art, promoting participatory forms of art-making. And isn’t it now commonplace in other areas to take on a more active role than in the past—whether it’s through reworking what’s provided while consuming or interacting with social media? Why shouldn’t the same apply to art? Why should there even be a strict distinction between artists and recipients anymore? 

Paul Hirsch may have asked himself similar questions. This could have led him to develop "Movable Sculptures," which are designed from the outset to be continuously reshaped. Carved from wood or produced with a 3D printer, these sculptures consist of multiple interconnected and movable parts. They cannot be altered arbitrarily but rather offer freedom within a clearly defined framework. The longer one engages with them, the more one appreciates the possibilities inherent in them. Some may wish for even more freedom in interacting with the sculpture's components, while others may be fascinated by the idea that no configuration seems inherently better or worse than another. As such, the artist remains present in all the activities his sculptures inspire. By predetermining the scope of possible interactions, he has done something familiar from other fields under a specific term: he has programmed. He has outlined a field of options that can be gradually realized. Anyone involved in these realizations is essentially executing the "program" of the respective sculpture—testing its boundaries, challenging it, admiring its structure, or perhaps even trying to outwit it. 

In other works by Paul Hirsch, it becomes even more apparent that one is engaging with a program he has developed. For instance, he often includes carved QR codes in exhibitions that lead to a website. If one then holds a smartphone up to markers also carved in the exhibition, augmented reality images of movable sculptures appear on the screen. While one cannot directly control the movements of these virtual sculptures, they are only triggered through active engagement. 

The role Paul Hirsch assumes as an artist is reminiscent of how the philosopher Vilém Flusser wrote about photography. For Flusser, every camera is "programmed," and every photograph is merely "a realization of one of the possibilities contained in the camera’s program." The number of possibilities is large but "nonetheless finite." A photographer who believes they have taken particularly original, never-before-seen pictures has ultimately only "discovered yet-unexplored possibilities." Such activity, Flusser continued, is "comparable to playing chess." 

Hirsch thus transforms art recipients into chess players—though here, the goal is not to win but to discover new variations of play. With his sculptures, he offers many options for action and the prospect of unexpected configurations. And just as one can play chess clumsily or elegantly, the elements of his sculptures can be arranged poetically, inspiring a desire to create something rough, delicate, or enigmatic from the same parts. Paul Hirsch stimulates the creativity of his audience, and after taking the first steps under the artist's guidance, one likely wants to walk independently. Once one has explored the possibilities of a "Movable Sculpture," one may feel compelled to consider its placement. Should it be displayed on a pedestal? Presented as a standalone piece or in combination with others? One can also decide how often to rearrange it—daily or yearly, privately or in the company of friends or guests. Rituals of transformation can be developed, or these can be ignored entirely. Each new variation can be documented and systematically explored, or one can leave it to chance to determine a sculpture's configuration. 

Paul Hirsch no longer interferes in any of these decisions—they lie beyond his programming. And that is what makes his art so distinctive: it possesses two different degrees of freedom. In one case, recipients become players who must still adhere to predefined rules; in another, they become creators who can make something entirely their own from the given sculptures. By carefully reflecting on and defining these two scenarios, Paul Hirsch also shapes the roles of the art audience more precisely and thoughtfully than is typically the case. Ultimately, it may be that the options for engaging with his sculptures that he has developed are his true work of art. 

*(1) Vilém Flusser: *Für eine Philosophie der Fotografie,* Göttingen 1983, pp. 24f.* 

 

 

Artist:

Artist ( Description ): 

Paul Hirsch studied computer science, philosophy, and art theory, earning a PhD in philosophy and art. With a fine arts education from the European Art Academy, Trier, Hirsch has worked as a sculptor since the 1980s. His art emphasizes audience interaction, often inviting viewers to become co-authors. By blending philosophical themes with archaic materials, he explores the relationship between identity and flexibility. Hirsch lives and works in Weiterstadt and Frankfurt as a freelance artist.

Venue ( Address ): 

RRuga Budi, Building 19, Unit 15, Tirana, Albania

Gallery70 , Tirana

 


 

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