ARTIST / Artist
Daniel Knorr
Daniel Knorr
Daniel Knorr is a contemporary Romanian artist whose work explores complex themes like political and theoretical issues, often triggering debates through provocative materials and concepts. Born in 1968 in Bucharest, Romania, Knorr’s artistic journey began in his youth, when he fled to Germany with his family at the age of 14. His formal education took place at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he studied under the influential artist Daniel Spoerri. In the 1990s, he moved to Berlin, where he continued to develop his distinctive artistic style, characterized by his engagement with sociopolitical, economic, and biopolitical themes.
Knorr’s art often uses controversial materials such as cocaine, casts of potholes, and smoke. His works focus on issues of representation, emptiness, and the symbolic world of fantasy. One of his notable pieces, Smoking in the Museum (2012), addressed global discussions surrounding health care and the tension between smokers and non-smokers. This piece, according to Knorr, was a materialization of contemporary bio-policies, exemplifying the ways in which power and control are exercised by the state through cultural-political discussions.
His works are participatory and conceptual, regularly provoking thought about the intersection of art and larger historical and sociopolitical phenomena. A key example of this is his Expiration Movement (2017), which debuted at documenta 14 in Kassel and Athens. This piece involved the continuous release of white smoke from the Zwehrenturm in Kassel for 10 hours a day over the span of 163 days. Another prominent work was his controversial contribution European Influenza at the 2005 Venice Biennale, where he presented a work that sparked significant debate surrounding issues of nationalism and identity in Europe.
Knorr’s art has been showcased in major international institutions, including the Migros Museum in Zurich, the Stasi Museum in Leipzig, and the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich. His works continue to make a statement on global issues, inviting audiences to reflect on the intersections of politics, identity, and the role of art in provoking change and discussion.