Poetic and sensuous, presented in distinctive ambiences, Matti Braun’s works encourage contemplation and meditation, while revealing a world in which cultural frontiers are subtle and permeable. 

To create his work, the artist uses different materials which evoke vernacular culture : wood, sand, silk, ceramics, glass, stone and fabric construct his protean world of pictures, photographs and installations. The work he makes reflects his interest in craftsmanship and its traditional techniques, which he emphasises in a globalised society that is increasingly replacing it with deceptive mechanical techniques. Braun’s art is rich in references to the East and to folk art, but never lapses into exotic clichés. His great subject is cultural exchange and the way, as a result of this process, objects can evolve, both in terms of their role (losing, for example, a religious or ritual function) and in their aesthetic. This metamorphosis is often due to misapprehension of the original meaning of the object in question.

The artist’s compositions are clear, simple, even minimalist. Meticulously put together, limiting their resources in order to be more effective, they go from very small to very big, with installations that fill the entire exhibition space. The artist loves to immerse visitors to his exhibitions in singular worlds. At the Kunstverein in Freiburg, he flooded the hall floor with water, immersing other spaces in ultraviolet light, while replacing the parquet with concrete or pouring sand on it.

Curious and erudite, Matti Braun presents a broad range of references, His projects oftenalludes to famous historical figures and their unexpected affiliations. Exhibitions have taken as point of departure historical figures and events such as Léopold Sédar Senghor, Mahatma Gandhi, Le Corbusier, the development of the Indian space program, or Lynda Benglis. This dense, intense and rich network of connections of multiple sources sets up a narrative articulated by the different works on display, making each exhibition an unfolding experience.