The term Menschen-Schmu is invented by the artists Oliver Heinzenberger and Stephen Suckale. Menschen-Schmu describes an artwork that has a hand crafted character and is often used in a dismissive sense. The choice of natural materials such as clay, straw, nuts, peas or chestnuts and the technical use of such handicrafts as pottery or engraving are often met with derision and are valued less. The term Menschen-Schmu is used by the artist without any evaluation.

Specifically for the NAK, Oliver Heinzenberger has developed a sculpture that resembles common cross beam constructions that are built up just before concerts and festivals and are usually very quickly built. These constructions do not follow any aesthetic rules. The functionality has the highest priority. Oliver Heinzenberg has been inspired by these building structures and compares these daily intrusions with Land Art Projects.

The Stage „Menschen-Schmu” is now at NAK and awaits the next big event. For a couple of weeks the Kunstverein will be closed before its opening for the next show by artist Lena Henke. The sculpture is light up and visible all the time through the glassbox. It seems as if the construction covers the light bulbs that are arranged in a square field but on closer inspection infact reveals that the technically precise construction contains many little mistakes, similar to those details found in the work of Menschen-Schmu. The systematic intrusion in this serial production are chaotic and not planned.For example, the diagonals are not equidistant or are completely missing and it is almost as if the sculpture is falling apart in one corner.

 

Oliver Heinzenberger´s project was invited by Julia Jung for NAK.