Elmar Trenkwalder (*1959) lives in Innsbruck. He studied with Max Weiler and Arnulf Rainer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
As early as 1986, in addition to his main medium of drawing, he turned to the medium ceramics and over the years developed virtuoso technical skills within it. Today he conceives works of unbelievably large volumes. Trenkwalder cast the sculpture WVZ 0147-S, that is mounted in the courtyard of the gallery in Innsbruck, from a plaster model in aluminium and painted it red.
Trenkwalder’s sculptures testify to vertical verve with vegetal and sexualised forms, from across the spectrum, ranging from ornamental systems, animate and inanimate objets. They inhere in corporeal and dynamic moving and are achieving architectural expansiveness.
„I feel like someone who siphons off the images and feelings of the world. As in dream work, I transform these images and these feelings…” Elmar Trenkwalder
Trenkwalders works have been shown in France since 1991 and, thanks to the proactive support of Gallery Bernard Jordan, is exhibited in numerous French institutions. Trenkwalder achieved an early international presence, for example through Peter Weiermair’s exhibitions „Prospect“ Kunstverein and Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt (1989), „Medium Zeichnung“ and „Von Kopf bis Fuß“ Kunstraum Innsbruck (1997), solo at the Rupertinum Salzburg (2001), participation in the exhibitions „Aperto 90“ Biennale Venice (1990) organised by Harald Szeemann, „Austria im Rosennetz“ MAK Vienna and „Wunderkammer Österreich“ Kunsthaus Zürich (1996), Biennale Lyon (1997). In 2005 he takes part in „Contrepoint II, de l’objet d’art à la sculpture“ at Musée de Louvre Paris and produces for it in Sèvres. Major solo exhibitions follow: La Maison Rouge Paris (2008), Kunstmuseum Thurgau, Kunsthalle Krems, Gerhard Marcks Haus Bremen (2012), Kunstraum Dornbirn (2018), Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (2019). In 2020, the Centre Pompidou will receive a large sculpture from the Antoine de Galbert Collection, which has recently been on display in the new collection exhibition.
