Stefan Löffelhardt is a landscape painter who does not use the classic painting utensils of a paintbrush and canvas. At ScheiblerMitte the artist has taken commonplace objects such plastic film, Styrofoam, Plexiglas, or potted plants to transform the entire exhibition space into a bizarre and utopian landscape. The visitor does not remain a passive observer but is drawn into the installation, becoming a figure in an accessible landscape and thus an integrated element within the artwork. The negation of the confrontation between viewer and work of art, the democratic equilibrium of individual units as well as the decentralized composition are the artistic means to create a „symbol for a non-hierarchical discourse.“ Hence, Löffelhardt’s application of the traditional landscape genre is broader, encompassing a „landscape of ideas and of the spirit“. The art historical references in Löffelhardt’s works range from the sweeping scenery of the Dutch Baroque, as represented by Jacob van Ruisdael, to Tiepolo’s graduated skies as well as the mountains and solitudes of Romanticism. Such epochal allusions are also apparent in his photographs, which complement and translate the installations into another medium. In these irreal yet idyllic places, green and blue plastic tarps, gold foil, and everyday items are so finely composed that the observer is unsure whether he hears the crashing of the waves or the crinkling of plastic.
Stefan Löffelhardt’s most recent solo exhibition was at the Galerie im Taxispalais in Innsbruck (March/April 2009). He has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships for his work, including repeated support from the Stiftung Kunstfonds in Bonn.