Ts.Gan-Erdene | CLOSER TO THE SUN | 15 Aug – 4 Sep, 2014
Based in Münster, Germany, artist Ts.Gan-Erdene is a graduate from the Mongolian University of Culture and Arts in 2001 and Kunstakademie Münster in 2010. He completed master’s degree program under the guidance of the Prof. Hermann-Josef Kuhna.
Gan-Erdene artworks have been displayed in over 30 solo and group exhibitions in Mongolia, Germany, Holland and UK in notable museums and exhibition halls such as, NRW Museum, Kunstpalast Dusseldorf, Museum of Contemporary Art, Munster and Government of Münster City, Germany. For his mastery, he received Art Prize for Young Art in 2006, 2nd Prize by Kuboshow in Herne in 2006, 1st Prize from International Art Competition Point No Return, Kunstverein Wesseling Ev in 2012. These prizes
Five notable galleries in Germany work with Gan-Erdene to display his works and he has developed his fans, including the world famous collectors such as Alessandro Benetton (owner of United Colors of Benetton), who collect his works.
GAN-ERDENE TSEND: AMBIVALENT, SIGNIFICANT REFLECTIONS
Art Critique by Caroline Messelhäußer, M.A. Art-Profile Magazine for Art
Mongolia, the country of Chinggis Khan, impresses the Europeans because of the fascinating nature, the never ending landscapes and high mountains, the extraordinary speech and text and of course because of the impressing culture. Mongolia is the home country of Gan-Erdene Tsend, who has been living and working for over ten years in Germany, particularly in Münster.
Reflecting on the past, Tsend’s vita collects a lot of solo and group exhibitions both at home and abroad. Furthermore he won several prizes of art. This year he was also represented at the art fair in Karlsruhe (Germany).
Even if he nowadays feels home at Germany, the artist still stays connected with his homeland. On the one hand he is a member of the Union of Mongolian Artist. On the other hand he shows landscapes in his exciting and moving compositions, like steppes and deserts, which are characteristic for Mongolia. His love to the nature developed because he grew up in rural structures.
In the last two years Gan-Erdene Tsend has been dedicating himself next to the specific Mongolian landscapes to one more artistic subject: reflections. This complex theme inspired already endless generations of artists in the history of art, who have realized signifying functions in their manner – like the presentation of reflections in various motifs or as final consequence of narcissism.
Reflection doesn’t only mean the visual communication. These definitions stand for long and deep reflection and ruminant considerations. In the work of Gan-Erdene Tsend there are two essential and significant attributes, which are mysterious and profound for the viewer at the same time: on the upper real area people are to be seen without a head and upper part of the body, but they are completely reflected in smaller or bigger puddles. However the artist mostly leaves one person missing, but its mirror image does exist in the composition.
Two works called “Spiegelung 007” and “Zwei Welten 3” are the good example for showing this essential feature. In the first mentioned picture the viewer recognizes two uniformed soldiers on the right edge of the picture. This could be an evidence for what happened with the young man who exists “just” in the mirror image. Did he have to go to war? Or is it an allusion to current political tensions? Is it a reflection of a happy couple with an air of yesteryear? It is about two different levels of reality that the artist purposely leaves open, the presentation of the past and the present or about a level of awareness to express a desire, memory or a demand?
The viewer can and must make – for further understanding – his own thoughts about the images. Because of this reasons interpretations can vary from quite exciting to most emotional. Such example is the large sized picture „Zwei Welten 3“. In the middle of the room is a person sitting on a wooden plank; in its reflection the viewer sees the backside of a close couple.
A big reflecting window opens the view of a city. Why isn´t the couple sitting together in the real world anymore? This is a secret known only by the artist but allows own interpretation and consideration. In addition to the named conformities the choice of colors is obvious: Gan-Erdene Tsend always prefers to use subdued, clayey and soft colours in his works. These underline additional meanings and effect of mysterious, emotional and almost secret compositions.
Shimmering-shiny colours would have had a contrary contrast to the image content like it can easily be seen in the work called „I love you“. The mirror image shows a cowering, introverted and reflectiv woman. The earthy colours accentuate a melancholy feeling.
The works of the artist Gan-Erdene Tsend show how interesting and fascinating a global, artistic and cultural exchange could be.
