Olaf Breuning
I Work from Unknown Moments

“The meaning is me. That’s it.” Meet the energetic New York based artist Olaf Breuning in this interview about how he works from his gut when developing his grotesque visual language and humorous works.

“I like to do whatever I wanna do. That’s why I choose to be an artist.” In this interview Olaf Breuning talks about his work, and how he can’t explain why he is interested in things. How he is not a conceptual or intellectual artist, but is controlled by his ‘other brain’. Breuning also says that his artwork comes from “the unknown moment” and that although his main focus is his own enjoyment, he also hopes it will make people ask themselves: “What the fuck just happened there?”

Olaf Breuning was born in Switzerland in 1970, but has lived in New York since 2002. His work, which includes photographs, videos, drawings, sculptures and installations, has been exhibited around the world.

Olaf Breuning was interviewed by Jesper Bundgaard in New York, May 2013.

Camera and editing by: Per Henriksen
Produced by: Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2013

Supported by Nordea-fonden

Tags

Related videos

Added to playlist
11:56 6artists-1

6 Artists
On Decisive Moments

Added to playlist
16:43 ugo_rondinone_-_stretching_the_persona_still_20-11-12_godkendt1_1_0

Ugo Rondinone
Stretching the Persona

Added to playlist
08:05 jonathan_meese_-_in_art_you_have_to_go_too_far_still_20-11-12_godkendt4_0_0

Jonathan Meese
In Art You Have to Go Too Far

Featured series

A Closer Look at Danish Writers

A series of extensive portraits

Series / 26 videos

Advice to the Young

Advice from one generation of artists to the next

Series / 106 videos

Ann Veronica Janssens

The Art of Physics

Series / 8 videos

Artists on One Work

Works of art explored by acclaimed artists

Series / 37 videos

Banned Voices

18 authors whose books have been banned or challenged

Series / 37 videos

Becoming Paul McCarthy

On the influential and groundbreaking contemporary American artist

Series / 3 videos

Facing the Blank Page

Writers talk about the horror of the blank page

Series / 18 videos

Get Inspired With

A series that draws close attention to the inspiration process

Series / 4 videos

Most watched

Top ten most-watched interviews from the Louisiana Channel

Series / 11 videos

My Last Picture

Artists reflect upon their last or final work.

Series / 3 videos

On Jørn Utzon

Architects on Danish architect Jørn Utzon

Series / 11 videos

On Marsden Hartley

Artists on American painter Marsden Hartley

Series / 5 videos

On Outer Space

Artists on Outer Space

Series / 12 videos

On Sonia Delaunay

4 perspectives on one of the great artists of the 20th century

Series / 4 videos

Poetry as a Performance

Poets on performing poetry

Series / 6 videos

Seen & Selected by Ellie Stathaki

The Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* Magazine shares her favourite architect portraits from our archive

Series / 8 videos

Seen & Selected by Jerry Saltz

The Senior Art Critic, 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, and author of the New York Times Bestseller 'How To Be an Artist' shares his favorite 'Advice to the Young'

Series / 12 videos

Seen & Selected by Katy Hessel

The author & founder of The Great Women Artists podcast shares her favourite portraits of female artists from our archive

Series / 12 videos

Writers on Art

Artworks interpreted by acclaimed writers

Series / 8 videos

Editors' picks

Added to playlist
52:52New Emin Tracey_I Am Doing What I Think Is Right_Cover_3 (1)

“Art can change the world.”

Tracey Emin
I Am Doing What I Think is Right

Added to playlist
01:45 CRAIG_MARTIN_Michael_Advice_To_the_Young_Cover_1

"The things that are natural to you aren’t natural to anybody else. They are yours."

Michael Craig-Martin
Advice to the Young

Added to playlist
17:29 HOCKNEY_David_Another_View_of_the_World_Cover_1

In dear memory of an extraordinary artist and human being.

David Hockney
Another View of the World

Added to playlist
23:34 WYLIE_Rose_A_Thorn_in_the_Picture_Cover_3

”Contrast gives life. I think a painting needs life.”

Rose Wylie
A Thorn in the Picture

Added to playlist
06:57 CALLE_Sophie_Advice_to_the_Young_Cover_3

“My father always thought it was good, that I learned how to fight and be in problems.”

Sophie Calle
Advice to the Young

Added to playlist
16:25 NUTI_Lulu_I_Recognize_Myself_in_Iron_cover_3

“The material already carries a history.”

Lulù Nuti
I Recognized Myself in Iron

Added to playlist
21:53 DUCROT_Isabella_Near_to_Happiness_Cover_4

"I don’t want to lose time. I want to amuse myself every moment."

Isabella Ducrot
Near to Happiness

Added to playlist
10:52 JAFA_Arthur_Basquiat_Was_on_the_Bleeding_Edge_of_What_Was_Possible_COVER 3

“His intellect was startling.”

Arthur Jafa
Basquiat Was on the Bleeding Edge of What Was Possible

Added to playlist
28:51 HICKS_Sheila_We’re_Crying_For_Softness_Cover_2

“Art is a big word.”

Sheila Hicks
We’re Crying For Softness

Added to playlist
13:07 10 architects_cover 4 JPG

”Architecture is a job for God.”

8 Pritzker Prize Laureates
On Architects and Architecture

Added to playlist
55:53 PIHLMANN_Søren_Make Materials_Matter_long_version_Cover_1

“We embrace what’s already there, and then we look for potential.”

Søren Pihlmann
Make Materials Matter (long version)

Added to playlist
10:53 PEI_Zhu_Build_Rich_But_Simple_Cover_1

“Great architecture is like poetry.”

Zhu Pei
Build Rich But Simple

Copy to clipboard