Pawel Althamer on Schizophrenia, Strategy, and Sculptures of Grass and Intestine

In an interview from 2003, Polish artist Pawel Althamer articulated his artistic philosophy as "schizophrenia," which merges conceptual thought with tangible interaction. A sculptor and performance artist, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1988 to 1993, where he was part of Kowalski's Workshop alongside artists such as Katarzyna Kozyra. His focus evolved in the mid-1990s to address social concerns, resulting in projects like BRODNO (1997) and BRODNO 2000. Since then, Althamer has worked with Foksal Gallery, notably participating in a 2001/02 project living in a tree house. He critiques the cynicism of Western European artists and emphasizes a universal perspective. His latest sculptures delve into themes of death and distance, utilizing materials that reflect his diverse education and upbringing in the Warsaw countryside.