Found objects, new meanings

What were your first contacts with art?
I was always surrounded by creative people in the family, my first creative memory was at the age of 10 when I did ceramics with my mom. I am constantly driven or influenced by the things I see in my surroundings, and I kind of want to reflect on that through my work.

How did you come to work with other mediums, not just photography?
I won a competition for the Austrian Cultural Forum in Rome; it was about climate change. I did photography that was about modern-day waste management, especially recycling materials. After that, I got to the point where I wanted to break out and do stuff that was not just photography. I worked in a multidisciplinary way, with sculpture and installation. I always try to stay open to building bridges between media. At the academy, I got in touch with different people who work in different ways, which gave me a different perspective on my own practice.

In your work, we sometimes see recontextualisation. Tell us more about that.
Now I am working with a lot of found objects. Yes, I am often recontextualizing things I see in my surroundings and everyday objects. I like the new meanings I find in them. I build it in ceramic, or I just take it as it is. Even if I have already exhibited some works, I still often come back to them.

Do you collect anything?
I collect photos of the constrained sides of urban areas or physical objects. I started a blog, and it is a source of inspiration for me. I would say I also collect expressions.

How does your working process look? Do you make sketches and models for your work, or do you work directly with the materials you have?
Collecting lets me infuse personal context into my creations, blending diverse media. By reusing found materials and objects, my work evolves both visually and conceptually. When working with ceramics, I also like to start from scratch, drawing inspiration primarily from my photo library. The images I capture serve as my sketches, but the resulting work is more of an alternative answer, addressing questions of health, climate, and the rapid changes in our world.

How does a day in the studio look?
In the studio, I like to work with a lot of light. I don’t have a regular schedule for the studio; I try to be there twice or three times per week, but when I have an exhibition or a project, I can be there every day.

Can you single out one collaboration with a colleague of yours?
I had a collaboration with another artist/colleague, Lily Zlotover, on the process of destroying the sculpture. I said, “Yeah, I would love to join because I work a lot with broken objects.” We created a sculpture over a year, and then we collected a lot of documents around the sculpture. We then made a movie out of it. The more we worked, the more it came out. Symbiosis with the other artist is a nice feeling.

Are there any artists you want to highlight as influences on your work?
I used to be inspired by artists from another century like Mimmo Rotella or John Chamberlain, but I’ve recently found inspiration from a more contemporary range of artists, including Alexandra Bircken, Klara Lidén Lucie Stahl, Elmgreen & Dragset, Toni Schmale, and others. What these artists share is their distinctive approach to sculpture, objects, and installation art. After finishing my studies in graphic design, I’ve always sought to break out and explore the broader connections between my interests in design, architecture, and photography.

What’s your ideal Sunday?
In the last few years, I have worked a lot and had exhibitions one after another. That was a period where I also worked weekends, and it escalated into panic attacks. I said yes to every opportunity, and it was hard to follow. It was a learning process. Right now, my perfect Sunday is filled with sports. I like to have time to cook as well. It is a good day to calm down. It is important to have time to reflect on what you are doing.

What is still a mystery to you?
Hyperrealism is a mystery: how do you know which reality you live in and where you work as an artist? Artificial intelligence is also a mystery.

What are your plans and wishes for the next year?
For 2024, I have four key focal points. The first one is completing my first half marathon in Barcelona. I never thought I would enjoy running, but due to a severe hand injury preventing me from participating in the sports I love, I discovered this new passion. In March, I will showcase my work at the Hybrid Art Fair in Madrid, followed by one semester at the sculpture department at Tokyo Zokei University. At the end of 2024, there will be a collaboration with Katarina Spielmann and Laia Fabre at the Ankerbrotfabrik in Vienna.

Alessandro Samuel Albrecht – ww.instagram.com/alessandroxsamuel/

Note: This text is part of our WallArt Journal #1, which we specially produced for the Hybrid Art Fair 2024 in Madrid. You can find copies around Vienna, or if you want to have one, feel free to contact us.

Les Nouveaux Riches, in collaboration with PARALLEL VIENNA and with the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Madrid, presents a group exhibition featuring four artists at the Hybrid Art Fair 2024 in Madrid: Alessandro Albrecht, Carli Fridolin Biller, Felix Schwentner, and Nina McNab.