Conceptual artist Caspar Berger has a penchant for infusing contemporary issues and the art historical canon into his works. His self-portrait and personal body often serve as the starting point for pieces that delve into themes of freedom, mortality, and political (belief) systems. To bring these ideas to life, Berger employs a diverse range of materials such as bronze, silver, gold, silicone, epoxy, wood, and felt, as well as video and multimedia, or a combination thereof. His body of work is divided into a series of extensive collections, including Skin, Skeleton, Universe, and Spirit.
Skin focuses on the human skin as its point of departure. The skin defines the boundary between the internal body of the individual self and the impersonal external world. In Skeleton, Berger created an exact 3D replica of his own skeleton in 2012, using a CT scan. The concept of our “eternal” identity, one that continues to speak of us even after death, serves as the basis for this series. In Universe, Berger explores the space that humans occupy in social and political situations. Who are we in relation to our physical, social, and political space, and how does our unique identity align with the collective fantasies that shape us? As for Spirit, his most recent ongoing project, Berger delves into the theme of the mindset and life questions that arise from the human condition. Here, the notion of Spirit encompasses not only a superior meaning but also the mental stance individuals can adopt in our social, political, and societal environment.
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