Artists

Oscar Tuazon

Press release

In his first solo exhibition in Austria, US sculptor and installation artist Oscar Tuazon (*1975 in Seattle) is showing works that relate to the social space and the public. He works with natural and industrial materials such as wood, stone, metal and concrete. Based on architectural approaches and do-it-yourself strategies, he realizes structures that move between functional buildings and sculpture. Many of Tuazon's projects are inspired by alternative and utopian architectures of the 1960s and 1970s and early eco-efficient and self-sufficient living models. Tuazon explores these architectural approaches to test their potential for today, not only in terms of the underlying technological principles, but also in terms of alternative uses of space and models of subjectivity.

The exhibition centers on Tuazon's long-term project, “Water School,” a nomadic architectural structure envisioned as a hub for informal learning and the collective generation of knowledge. Drawing inspiration from the insights of indigenous environmentalists and their ecological knowledge, the project engages with site-specific water policies to foster sustainable and respectful water usage. The architectural structure of “Water School” is inspired by the passive-solar Zome House (1971/72) conceived by eco-pioneers Steve and Holly Baer in New Mexico, featuring a versatile polygonal design that can be adapted to various needs.