Text from artist: “I want to do things differently” – 27 year old German Artist Tim Bengel transforms the art world with his urge to combine innovation and aesthetics.
Tim Bengel was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1991. He studied art history and philosophy at the elite University of Tübingen. Bengel lives and works in Stuttgart and Berlin.
Inspired from a young age on trips to the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart near his home of Ostfildern, Germany, Tim started imitating drawings of artists like Cy Twombly and Kandinsky from the age of 9. He was confused what simple dashes of color could mean and started realizing the importance of defining his own style.
Earning his first art award at 18 for a collage about the European financial crisis made of coins, Tim then became determined to define a technique with “great recognition value.” He developed his method of using sand, gold and glue between 2014 and 2015 before becoming a YouTube sensation by sharing videos of his process leading up to dramatic conclusions where he would reveal his intricate images by letting the un-glued sand and gold fall from canvases when turned vertical.
When not producing, Tim engages himself with art and philosophy at the elite university of Tübingen. His focus is therefore to continue defining the unique qualities of his artistic expression while trying new and bold methods. “My conviction is that arts can neither be learned nor taught. The whole of the arts needs to be absolutely free.”
Since his first solo exhibition in New York (2017), Bengel’s work has been shown in major galleries and institutions throughout the world. He is widely known for his hyper-detailed gold-leaf embellished sand paintings as well as for his monumental public artwork ‘Flower Skull Cemetery’(2019), shown next to the Berlin Wall and Factory Berlin.
Stating: “It’s time to make art more approachable”, Tim Bengel’s idea of filming short videos to deliver glimpses into his unique technique, opened new doors to present art in a way that is particularly well-suited for the digital age; these videos are not meant as ‘How to’-tutorials, they rather offer a viewing experience that culminates in a reveal climax.
Due to his success on social media – where his videos receive up to 400 million views – Bengel increases openness in the field of arts and culture. His over half a million followers on Facebook and Instagram make him one of the most famous artists of his generation.
