Frank Kunert. Carpe Diem

A minimalist table of contents page from a book, with headings in both German and English. The sections listed are: Vorwort/Foreword on page 7, Werke/Works on page 10, Das Leben ist eine Modellbaustelle/Life Is a Model Construction Site on page 63, and Biografie/Biography on page 79.

An open book spread shows its foreword in German and English. The left page features a photograph of a hand in a white glove setting up a miniature scene, placing a tiny potted plant beside a red carpet that leads up to the entrance of a model building.

A two-page book spread. The left page lists the title, Dünnes Eis, Thin Ice, and the year, 2018. The right page is a photograph of a dining room with a wooden table set for a meal by a large window overlooking a green landscape. On the dark, mottled floor, there is a jagged black shape that looks like a hole or an animal hide.

A two-page spread from a book. The left page has text for the artwork: Hochbett, High Sleeper Bed, 2019. The right page shows a surreal photograph of a room where a wooden bed sits on an extremely tall pole, so high that it breaks through the ceiling into a bright blue sky with clouds. The room below has light green walls, a wooden floor, a bookshelf, and a small rug.

A surrealist photograph of a mid-century modern room where one entire wall is open to a vast blue sky with white clouds. A chaise lounge is positioned at the edge, with a glass diving board extending from its end out into the open sky.

A page layout showing an artwork titled Spielabbruch, Breaking Off the Game, 2019. The art is a surreal photograph of a large chessboard on a stone patio against a cloudy blue sky. A chess game is in progress, but a black knight and pawn are standing off the board. In the foreground, a green bench holds a bottle of wine and a glass.

A book spread with the title Tagtraum, Daydream, 2021 on the left page. The right page displays a surreal image of a corporate conference room where one of the office chairs is elevated on a tall pole, extending through a circular hole in the ceiling to a bright blue sky with clouds.

A high-angle view of a miniature diorama depicting a snow-covered parking lot filled with vintage cars. In the center, a large, rectangular pit is carved out, revealing a small, submerged building. A narrow staircase leads down to the structure, which has a small, illuminated sign that reads HOTEL.

Frank Kunert. Carpe Diem

€ 20.00

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By (artist): Frank Kunert

Edited by: Frank Kunert

October 2022, 80 Pages, 40 Photos

Hardcover

228mm x 230mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-5291-6

HATJE CANTZ VERLAG
Mommsenstr. 27
10629 Berlin
Germany
E-Mail: contact@hatjecantz.de

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| The Absurdity of the Everyday

Frank Kunert's works are as ambiguous as life itself. Constantly questioning the human condition, the artist translates his interpretations of the world into meticulous miniature models and captures them photographically. Kunert's constructions contain intelligent observations about the delicate task of balancing work and life, or the whimsicality of the everyday. Following his illustrated volumes Topsy-Turvy World, Wonderland and Lifestyle, Carpe Diem reveals the contradictions of our existence—between euphoria and impending misery. Comedy and tragedy are closely intertwined in the work of model maker and photographer: Kunert leads us into a parallel universe that seems surreal yet strangely familiar.

FRANK KUNERT's (*1963, Frankfurt am Main) interest was initially focused on landscape photography. During his training as a photographer in the 1980s he came to know and love studio work. Since then, he has gradually specialized in designing and photographing miniature models.

EXHIBITION
Stadtmuseum Schleswig
December 9, 2022 - March 12, 2023