that which is beyond the beyond, that to which all things return

The Buchmann Galerie is pleased to announce Wolfgang Laib’s exhibition that which is beyond the beyond, that to which all things return at the gallery. The exhibition presents Laib’s latest body of work: sculptures made from Indian granite that evoke the form of ships. This series has developed organically in recent years and adds a significant new facet to the artist’s oeuvre. These extraordinary works are being presented publicly for the first time.

The elongated sculptures made from black Indian granite rest directly on the ground, conjuring the image of an imminent journey. Carved by the artist from massive stone blocks in his studio in southern India, where the artist spends part of his time, these sculptures embody both permanence and movement. Through their presence, Laib continues his exploration of the spiritual dimension inherent in the creation of form.

Laib’s very first artistic work, created during his medical studies, was a contemplative granite sculpture which he called a Brahmanda. Translated from Sanskrit, this title means “Egg of the Universe.” Since then, the artist has combined a sensitivity to material and form shaped by Western minimalist art with a spirituality inspired by his deep engagement with Eastern, particularly Indian, philosophy, aesthetics, and religion. This is reflected in the title of the exhibition, a quotation borrowed from the Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, Laozi. The fragment from the Tao Te Ching (Chapter 25), that which is beyond the beyond, that to which all things return, which opens up an existential horizon for the works.

Laib’s sculptural work engages elemental, often symbolically charged forms: houses, niches, ships, wax chambers, and Brahmandas together create a symbolic cosmos in which meaning and sensory experience intertwine. With his new body of work, Laib returns to the enduring, elemental material of granite to shape ships, symbols of transition, migration, and the journey of life.