About
Henrik Langsdorf is a visual artist who divides his time between New York and Kassel, Germany. His work ranges from abstract art and collage to video installation and art in public space.
In 2019 he participated in the Congo Biennale with “Ville Fantôme/Kinshasa La Belle”, a two-channel video installation that explores issues of urban planning in Kinshasa.
His video installation “Rudolf Duala Manga Bell — a German Story” was shown at ruruhaus (documenta fifteen) in Kassel as part of Blind Spots in the Sun – an ongoing series of art interventions that deal with colonial history and racism in Germany. It was also shown at MARKK Museum in Hamburg, Germany and at Doual’Art in Doula, Cameroon and has won awards at international film festivals.
During documenta fifteen, Langsdorf showed two video installations entitled “5 car stud 2.0/coordinated inauthentic behavior” and “No First Aid/HAPPYLAND” at Galleria Kollektiva and Hugenottenhaus, respectively, both in partnership with documenta fifteen.
Currently he is working on visuals for a dance performance that deals with the fallout from Africa’s division by European powers in the 19th and early 20th century.
Artist statement
My work is driven by a passion for both aesthetic problems and social issues and spans a range of media: In my video work I confront issues like colonialism, racism, and urban deterioration, while my abstract experimentation employs algorithms on vector drawings to generate amorphous formations on canvas, paper and murals. I also incorporate photos of architecture, people and found materials through collage. All these endeavors share the common objective of first igniting intrigue, and then engaging viewers on both visual and intellectual levels that create a dialogue with the work that goes beyond a cursory glance.