Reto Müller
Basalt, Fountain Figures, and Deep Holes in the Garden
Reto Müller (*1984) worked in the Sitterwerk’s guest studio from the middle of March to the beginning of May 2018. The artist from Thurgau studied visual art at the ECAV in Siders, and has since then developed mainly sculptures, films, and installations. A recurring theme in his works is altering outward forms that we consider conclusive. He is interested in processes of transformation and solidity as well as in the awareness that a fixed form—no matter how permanent it is—merely represents a snapshot and always also bears the potential of a different form within it. He consequently experiments with altering physical states of being—the solidification or liquefaction of various materials and then solidifying them once again.
During his time in the Sitterwerk, Reto Müller worked with basalt. He is fascinated by this most basic material, which is formed by lava and in which «something eternal» is inherent. The artist was able to realize his own basalt casts at a foundry in Poland that liquefies and casts basalt for industrial purposes. In the Sitterwerk studio, he primarily occupied himself with fusing basalt rocks and molding techniques.