Marina Blanca German, b. 1953

Biography

MARINA BLANCA SEILERN 

1953  
Born in Hamburg, Germany
1973 – 1977  
Studied in Paris at Esam Design – Ècole supèrieur des Arts modernes and at Ècole du Louvre. Throughout the whole time in Paris, I trained as a sculptor under Maxime Fillon. 
1987 – 1990
Learned the techniques of working with bronze under Josef Zensmair in Salzburg, Austria
1997 – 2007
Founder and Head of the Artist’s symposiums at Rettenegg, Austria and in Sóller/Mallorca, Spain

 

ART FAIRS

2024

Participation at ART VIENNA. A Group show Heritage Artists, on invitation by the Austrian lifestyle magazine Schlossseiten. September 19 – 22, 2024, Vienna.

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2014
Portraits, Alte Ankerbrotfabrik, Vienna, Austria

2012

Gefäße – Jars, Forum am Schillerplatz, Vienna, Austria

2009
Sessel-Objekte, Studio Lori Rosenberg, Vienna

2007
Sessel-Objekte, KA. Heidenreichstein, Lower Austria

2003
Sessel-Objekte, Fingerhut-Akademie, Crottorf, Germany

Sessel-Objekte, Oelber am weißen Wege, Germany

Sessel-Objekte, Schloss Wendlinghausen, Germany

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019

Exquisite Objects I, curated by Katharina Husslein, Salon Le Sans Souci, December 15th, 2019, Vienna, Austria

Christina Lergon, Marina Blanca, Tamara Bondi – Ausstellung der neuen Arbeiten, curated by Wilhelm and Lorraine Spee, Schloss Heltorf, May 11th, 2019, Düsseldorf, Germany

2018

The Rabbit I Never Got, curated by Ala Glasner, Nathalie Hoyos & Gabrielle Berlin, The Austrian Association Women Artists (VBKÖ), November 28, 2018 – January 9th, 2019, Vienna, Austria

2014

fragen! globale veränderungsprozesse und ihr niederschlagElf versuche einer annäherung, curated by Cajetan Gril. Schloss Aichberg, Eichberg, Austria

2013
Ahnen, curated by Ferdinand Orsini-Rosenberg in collaboration with Museum of Modern Art Kärnten, Schloss Grafenstein, Austria

PIKASUMAN, Stilwerk, Vienna, Austria

2002
Within/Without Appearances, International Appartment, Vienna

Skulptur 02, Fürstenfeld, Styria

1998
Dimensionen, Galerie Kalb, Vienna

1995
Stein-Skulpturen, Atelier Alexander Köchert, Vienna

1990
Künstlerverein – Artist’s society, Kuchl, Salzburg

COMMISSIONED WORKS FOR THE PUBLIC SPACE

2024

Presentation of a portrait in bronze of renown pianist Rudolf Buchbinder (*1946), who is the artistic director of the Grafenegg Festival in Lower Austria. The presentation took place after the closing matinée of the former Reitschule at Grafenegg, which will be modernized and reopened in summer 2026. September 22, 2024. 

2010

For Salzburg’s famous Haus für Mozart, where the Salzburg music festival takes place, I was asked to make a portrait, in bronze, of the main patron Donald B. Kahn (1925-2013).

1993

Outdoor sculpture made of iron sheets, functioning as a signpost for the wildlife park Mautern, in Styria. It is located at the exit of Austrian motorway A9, coming from the direction of Vienna.

 

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCES

2012

February – April
Invitation to Glasfabrik Oberstölzl, Styria

2000 – 2002
Invitation to Aluminium Fabrik Neuman, Marktl im Traisental, Austria
(Development of the series Sessel-Objekte)

Installation shots
Overview

Marina Blanca is a visual artist experimenting with material, color and space to explore the notion of interaction. Her sculptures transform spaces into dynamic playgrounds. Throughout her artistic career, Blanca focuses on the relationship between the figurative players and the abstract elements of a game. By depicting the facial features of individuals with portrait busts cast in bronze, she emphasizes on the mood and position of her players. Later, she blew armchairs out of proportion or installed armies of white ceramic vases, that embody architectural elements and act as pawns in a game.


By opposing the functionality and dysfunctionality of human adequacy, she raises questions relating to the individual, to his or her vulnerability and or their finiteness. For Blanca, her sculptures are personalities, which also talk. They are bodies that can be treated flexibly in their placement – lying on the floor, positioned on tables, hanging from the ceiling.