Björn Dahlem
Born in Munich, 1974 and lives in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany
Bjorn Dahlem uses simple, commonly found materials to illustrate complex scientific theories or to replicate models used in cosmology, astronomy, and physics. Dahlem is the son of a physicist, and has been interested in the inherent contradictions posed by models and diagrams of abstract concepts and knowledge. He turns these concerns into large-scale, sometimes immersive installations with flea market finds, wooden planks, and commercial light tubes. He chooses these materials because his aim is, as he describes, “to stay as close to the idea [as possible] and the immaterial image of the imagination.” He’s also been interested in the way the universe has been theorized and presented in popular science, and parallel presentations of utopias, spirituality, and human existence.