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MARGARET THATCHER - Gregor Spänle, Julia Venske

418 views · Published 14 June 2014 · 4:54 · Indexed 8 November 2026

Channel: NYC GALLERY OPENINGS · 2014 · Entertainment

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Gregor Spänle, Julia Venske
Venske & Spänle - Oh Deer!

Margaret Thatcher Projects
539 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011 

June 5th - July 19th, 2014
Opening:  June 12th 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Margaret Thatcher Projects is pleased to present Oh Deer!, a solo-exhibition 
of hand carved marble sculptures by the Munich-based artists Venske & 
Spanle. Since 1997, the artists have collaborated to sketch and cut their 
curious, biomorphic forms from stone, meticulously trimming and polishing 
each into its final state. In some, such as the titular work of the exhibition, 
unexpected items are introduced to interact with their creations, such as desk 
lamps, or wall mounted antlers where elongated marble boughs extend and 
wrap themselves around the tines and rich, corpulent folds at the center 
relieve the tension of its offshoots.
 
The lively nature of their sculpture is given balance by their expert command 
of a medium laden with historical context, and that can feel hard and cold to 
the touch. Taking visual and conceptual inspiration from the realms of sci-fi, 
cartoon animation and an innate sense of playful humor, Venske & Spänle are 
deeply interested in the spatial interaction between sculpture, space and 
viewer. Often times, their works assert their presence in spaces that may 
otherwise be overlooked, such as Ploidy in the Corner where bulges seem to 
sprout from its corner position. Others, such as Club or Helotroph Kaiser 
display an exuberant confidence, claiming their positions either leaning 
against a wall or hugging the bulb of a lamp.
 
The fleshy folds and gestures the artists are able to pull from stone have the 
ability to fascinate and confound. Many reach into a classic visual vocabulary, 
displaying mannerist expressions of pull and tension. Ultimately, the group of 
sculptures presented in this exhibition represents an expanding body of work 
that has evolved from their original and still growing family of Smörfs, now 
found in locations from New York to Papua New Guinea and the Congo.
 
Venske & Spänle is the moniker for the artists Julia Venske (b.1971, Berlin) 
and Gregor Spänle (b. 1969, Munich). The artists live and work in Munich, and 
have exhibited their work worldwide in North and South America, Europe, 
Asia, Australia and Africa. Recent solo museum exhibitions include the 
Museum de Bella Artes, Valancia, ES (2014) and Museum Bad Arolson, Kassel, 
DE (2012). Permanent public installations of their work include Myzot 
Nachtwächter in Incheon, South Korea and Fiat Eater in Querceta, Italy, to be 
completed this year. Oh Deer! is the fifth solo-exhibition of the artists at 
Margaret Thatcher Projects.

Music by:
Chill Carrier - A New Day

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