Animal Laborans, Homo Faber

2016, Sculpture

A large part of modern self-perception is characterized by leading a professional life and identifying ourselves with the work we do. Thus it becomes important to transcend working merely to earn our livelihood and aim to transform the world around us, becoming homo faber.

Animal laborans on the other hand is stuck in a never-ending cycle of work and consumption, akin to the mythological Sisyphos who carries his stone laboriously to the top of the mountain only to always see it plummet back into the valley again.

The stone becomes the central part of the work as it is shattered and built up anew from its pieces. The hard work of breaking the stone seems a fit for animal laborans, the reconstruction of the stone bears the marks of homo faber. Yet it seems that here animal laborans frees himself from his burden and homo faber uses his inventiveness to create the weight he henceforth has to carry.

Diploma Exhibition
Expositur Hohenstaufengasse 9, 1010 Wien,
Dachgeschoß, Art & Science studio
15-22 June 2016, M-F, 12-18pm

Diploma Commission:
o. Univ.-Prof. Mag. rer. Nat. Dr. techn. Georg Glaeser
Sen.Lect. Dr. Bernd Kräftner
Univ.-Prof. Mag. art. Ruth Schnell
VAss. Mag. art. Nita Tandon
Univ.-Prof. Virgil Widrich