Art New York/Context New York

 Pier 94

May 3-6 2018

In his second art fair of 2018 Philipp Humm is exhibiting his distinctive model marionette and replica face sculpture at this year’s Art New York/Context New York at Pier 94 on May 3-6.

Humm is exhibiting with Saphira and Ventura Gallery and their Korean partner Gallery Banditrazos. His work can be viewed at Stand #ANY229.

With influences in philosophy and pop culture, artist Philipp Rudolf Humm creates playful mise-en-scènes that examine the socio-politics of our contemporary world, in a genre best described by reputable Art Critic Edward Lucie Smith as Pop Expressionism.

His disturbing silicon sculptures are exact copies of the artist created as a way of Humm observing himself as an outside entity, exploring his role in contemporary society. Humm’s Life Marionette, consists of silicon, glass eyes, real hair and is an interactive self-portrait sculpture. By transforming himself into a marionette Humm gives himself over to the mercy of others, allowing them to pull his strings, commanding control. A comment on today’s society and individual’s willingness to expose their life and soul on social media, many times to the critique of others.

In order for viewers to fully observe the marionette the piece will be suspended from ceiling in the middle of the booth, further exploring the artists notion of subjecting himself to the scrutiny and influence of the public.

Similarly, Humm has created his own life and death mask in his piece Life Maska silicon hand holding the artists head. Again, Humm explores how he as an artist and his work is represented in a wider context and how other people perceive us. The unique sculpture is a 3D selfie of the artist and his ironic perspective and outlook on life and society.

Saphira and Ventura are a contemporary art gallery with locations and partners all over the world including Sao Paulo, Paris, Cannes, Singapore, Madrid, Miami and Perth, Australia. They specialize in both established and emerging artists and we also have a collection of Latin American masters as well as signature American artists like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock.

Press please contact Damson Communications, Amelia Hubert on 0207 812 0645 or

amelia.hubert@damsonpr.com.

Notes to editors:

Philipp Rudolf Humm (b. 1959, Saarbruecken, Germany) is a Belgian/German painter and sculptor, based in London. Since 2015, after a successful career as CEO at T-Mobile US, Amazon and Vodafone. He studied life painting and sculpture at the London Fine Art Studios and at the Fine Art Academy in Florence and holds a BA in Philosophy and a MBA.

In 2015 Humm quit his high-profile job as CEO for Vodafone Europe to pursue a full-time painting and sculpting career. Humm was a painter from young age, but for a long time lead a double life that saw him working for 60-hour weeks, and painting for 40 hours a week. Humm eventually realised, in the words of Plato, that ‘if there is something worth living for, it is the contemplation of beauty’, and decided to leave his high-profile job for a career as an artist.