Matti Braun Untitled, 2022
The mouth-blown glass object plays with its hybrid status as sculpture and product of craftsmanship and with the tension that has traditionally existed between these two areas of production - that of art and of crafts. At the same time, Matti Braun's glass works also draw on a tightly woven web of references and associations characteristic of the artist's practice: an early glass work was used as prop in his staging of The Alien. In addition, the translucent objects recall eyes, and especially the protruding "bug" eyes found in popular representations of the exaggerated physiognomy of alien creatures. On a material level, glass in effect is made from sand, another recurring element of Braun's exhibitions, and its color remains true: the color of a glass shard from thousands of years ago will not fade or discolor, just as the color of these sculptures by Matti Braun will last into the distant future, akin to time travelling visitors, out of the artist's control to determine their interpretation and fate.