For Erik Tannhäuser, observation is the central
artistic element. He is convinced that only through perception can we find our place in the world and learn the right way to engage with it. On this journey, he goes far back. Back to the time when we were gatherers. Tannhäuser roams the land, collects, and brings back natural finds from his wanderings.
He lays them on steel plates, forms landscapes,
waters them until images begin to emerge.
The Ichthyostega was one of the first animals to emerge from the sea and live, at least part of the time, on land – a so-called
“transitional” creature. Although we humans are not descended from Ichthyostega, we too move between worlds: the original natural world, the digital world, and many cultural worlds. We build bridges between them. Special significance belongs to places where culture crosses borders and forges connections.
In 2006, Tannhäuser presented works from the series
Developments in Berlin for the first time. Fish, bycatch from
Hanstholm, Denmark.
More recently, in spring 2024, three panels were displayed in Gosau as part of the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut: Fish, Heron, and Fox from the Lake, Sky, and Forest.
In autumn 2024, under the patronage of UNESCO, 20 panels were displayed in the Schönbrunn Palace Park – Danish fish, Berlin rose petals, Weinviertel vine leaves, and a Salzkammergut frog.
A run-over fox that Tannhäuser found on the roadside inspired him to develop a video game. In this game, the player controls the fox, who kicks cars off the road.
In 2025, new works will be shown at Parallel Vienna. The exhibition marks the start of a multi-year European tour that will take
Tannhäuser and his landscapes next to La Villette in Paris in 2026.
