Mangeng Victor

The works of the sculptor Victor Mangeng, born in Austria in 1991, are defined by a recurring canon of forms. The often seemingly static poses in which he captures the human form lend his sculptures a quiet and auratic appeal, which is only broken by sensitive sculptural interventions and gesture-rich surface textures. Victor Mangeng is represented at the 9th Swiss Triennial of Sculpture with the work "Get rid of your burden[1]". The sculpture shows a powerfully built, muscular man who is the aesthetic ideal of strength, harmony and stability. However, the toes on the left foot are not fully developed, and one wrist has a crack. The left eye is covered and the figure appears to be trying to keep his balance with his hands. These small imperfections point to the vulnerability of the man, who at first glance appears strong. It is a vulnerability that is inevitable in every individual. On the other hand, however, the ever faster, more turbulent and more complex world exposes us increasingly to the danger of further injury and of being lost in the world. Driven by the economy, social community and media, we are losing sight of the big picture and losing the space we need to find reflection and calm, as well as the right view of ourselves and the world as a whole.

Quote

«I experiment, find things out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but at least I'm searching for something, a form of expression that is constantly changing, which always brings me back to the source. And why I am constantly changing is probably because everything is constantly changing.»

[1] "Entkomme Deiner Last" in German