Personalities
Birthday Suit at Oberlech
A golden monkey with a party hat, party flute and a bouquet of roses in his hand: he couldn't be happier, could he? With this sculpture, the artist shows us how sadly dystopian something can be that seems happily utopian at first glance.
After the Dutch artist often spends his family holidays at the Hotel Montana in Oberlech, he now also wanted to bring his art here. He decided on his sculpture "Birthday Suit", which had previously travelled through various cities - the mountain and the snow are now new territory for the monkey.
“The golden sculpture in the middle of the white snow paradise with this breathtaking mountain backdrop, that is really something very special”
Joseph Klibansky
Artist
This sight will also be strikingly unique for Joseph Klibansky's art lovers:
“Many of my clients spend their winter holidays in Lech at the Hotel Montana, among other places. It will be a great surprise for them when they see my art object in front of the sun terrace of the hotel”
Joseph Klibansky
Artist
About the sculpture: Birthday Suit
Birthday Suit (bronze), 2019 is a sculpture from the series "Party" by contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky. It is made of the material bronze and is created as a limited edition in several sizes. The sculpture finds its origin in Klibansky's gorilla head sculpture "Big Bang". This was so well received that the artist wanted to experiment further with the theme of apes. He tried it with a full-body sculpture, through which he wanted to convey further, additional emotions. Humour played an important role for him: that is why he depicted the monkey naked and with a bouquet of roses. The story told by the sculpture is a party. But not, as it seems, the exuberant celebration of a party: but the missing of a party - he feels as if he is late for the party. He is meant to embody how people often feel when they have missed the boat on something.
Today, his sculpture exists in three versions: one is enthroned in front of the world's tallest building "Burj Khalifa" in Dubai, another is enthroned on the artist's private property and the third bronze sculpture now adorns the forecourt of the Hotel Montana in Oberlech.
About the artist: Joseph Klibansky
Joseph Klibansky's work explores the relationship between a thing and its essence, between what we see and what an image implies. The sense of precarious balance found in his recent paintings and sculptures shows how sadly dystopian an image can be that at first glance seems happily utopian. It thus shows how utopia and dystopia can coexist within the same image.
The Birthday Suit on the Oberlech sun plateau
The artist's family, who lives in Holland, has long had a passion for Lech - now the idea came up to combine a holiday with art. The Ortlieb family immediately responded positively to the artist's request to place one of his sculptures in front of the Hotel Montana. Thus began the planning of the placement of the art object, which was to become very spectacular!
Künstler Joseph Klibansky mit Hoteliere Kathrin Ortlieb (Mitte) vor seiner Skulptur "Birthday Suit"
With everyone's support, the statue was then flown spectacularly by helicopter to Oberlech on Wednesday morning, where it was fixed on a pedestal and finally completed by the artist himself.
In front of the Hotel Montana, the artwork "Birthday Suit" by Joseph Klibansky can now be viewed until the end of March, before the gorilla's journey continues again.
“Everyone in Lech was so incredibly cooperative! From the mayor to the building yard, we received immediate tailwind and support, and so we were able to realise the project smoothly and are now proud to be able to show the object in front of our hotel.”
Kathrin Ortlieb
Hotelier Hotel Montana
Künstler Joseph Klibansky mit Hoteliere Kathrin Ortlieb (Mitte) vor seiner Skulptur "Birthday Suit"
