Munich, July 06, 2010 ¬– With an exhibition of works by Sven Meyer, WTS, one of Germany’s leading tax consulting companies, once again opens the doors to the Munich public. In the third of the exhibition series “Kunst am Isartor” (Art at the Isartor) collages reflect on the role of mass media and political events in the age of perpetual reproductivity. (“Kunst am Isartor”, Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 1, Mo-Fr 3-6 pm).

At a first glance, Sven Meyer’s works look like surreal dream worlds. True to his motto, however, “I think, therefore I paint”, these works are highly theoretical and complex conceptualizations. The self-taught artist who majored in communication sciences has been making art for over 20 years and his central themes are mass media, current affairs and the rampant excess of information in the age of perpetual reproduction.

In his collages Meyer combines images he discovers with drawing and painting to form allegories about socio-political and medial events. Sven Meyer questions the influence of virtual systems and gives viewers pause for thought: To what extent do people form a personal opinion freely and independently or are they just guided by other influences? Why do we give paparazzi pictures of some supposed celebrity the same attention as those of catastrophic incidents at a nuclear power plant?

Sven Meyer weaves his works to intricate picture stories with elements of news, tabloids, film sequences and bits of Christian iconography.

Looking at these complex pictures one easily finds oneself confronted with universal questions which – in a globalized world – cannot be answered, and rightly so. Instead – and this is what Sven Meyer aims at – every one of us must and can critically question afresh our individual self-created life and living environment.

"This still very young series Kunst am Isartor comprises four shows per year and encompasses anything from photography to sculpture”, explains the exhibition’s curator Dr. Annika Schoemann. “Primarily we want to offer young artists from the Greater Munich area a challenging platform to present their work. A vital aspect of the concept is to be open to the Munich public. I have encountered at WTS a corporate culture of an open-mindedness that offers ideal conditions for the arts. Despite the fact that tax consultants and artists may not have much in common at a first glance it has become clear within just a couple of weeks that the world of business and finances draws a wealth of inspiration from the world of arts and vice versa. The arts generate discussion, openness and creativity.”

Pictures and Press Materials

 Do you see what you belive

Press Release (PDF)