GUNTER WESELER BIOGRAPHY
Günter Weseler is known for his ‘Atemobjekte’, or ‘breathing objects’. They arose from an interest in breathing which he describes as ‘neurotic’ as, due to a throat illness any agitation or physical exertion causes him breathing difficulties. In the time of Covid-19, of course, we might think of ventilating machines. Since the mid-1960’s, Weseler has secluded himself in Düsseldorf to make indeterminate animal forms which seemingly live to breathe – apparently unable to do anything else – rather than breathing to live. He likes these to ‘nest’ in the home alongside their human hosts. They are appealing yet disquieting: the furry familiarity of the nursery soft toy meets the science fiction tropes of invasion and genetic distortion – Weseler often terms them ‘new species’. How will such guests develop, and what might they do?
