Manfred Erjautz

Manfred Erjautz (born 1966 in Graz) is an Austrian artist.

Biography From 1985 to 1990, Erjautz studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under Prof. Bruno Gironcoli. He is a member of the Vienna Secession and the .

In 1989, Erjautz used Lego bricks to create some of his sculptures. The first work made of Lego was a gun used in a fictitious bank robbery filmed by a surveillance camera. In another work, he built an electric chair from LEGO bricks, subverting LEGO's slogan “play well” by reversing its intended meaning. A controversial Lego cross, which featured a Lego truck instead of the body of Christ, was installed on the altar of the Jesuit Church, Vienna in 2004. The playful character of the Lego should relativize the seriousness and ceremoniousness of the liturgy.

One day before Christmas Eve 2008, the sculpture was vandalised with parts stolen by unknown perpetrators. It has been relocated to a much safer place on the pulpit.

Works in collections Source: Neue Galerie Graz – Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz Upper Austrian State Museum, Linz Lentos Art Museum, Linz Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Salzburg Austrian Sculpture Park, Unterpremstätten Albertina, Vienna Generali Foundation, Vienna MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig – MUMOK, Vienna TBA21 – Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Vienna Vienna Secession, Vienna The Schaufler Foundation, Sindelfingen, Germany Studio Stefania Miscetti, Rome, Italy

Recognition Source: 1999 2008 Humanic Award 1991 Austria Tabak Award

Museum exhibitions and biennials (selection) Source: 1990 Österreichische Skulptur, Erste Allgemeine Generali Foundation, Secession, Vienna, Austria 1991 Un Musée en Voyage, Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon, France 1991 Junge Österreicher, Szombathely/Keptar, Hungary 1992 3. Internationale Biennale Istanbul, Turkey 1993 La coestistenza dell' arte, Biennale di Venezia, Venedig, Italy 1993 Konfrontationen, Museum moderner Kunst, Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna, Austria 1994 International Biennale for Printed Graphics, Zagreb, Croatia 1996 jenseits von kunst, Ludwig Múzeum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest, Hungary 1996 Elektrischer Stuhl, Vienna Secession, Austria 1998 Disidentico maschile femminile e oltre, Palazzo Branciforte, Palermo and Museo di Castelnuovo, Neapel, Italy 1998 Freeze Frame, University of South Florida, Contemporary Art Museum (USFCAM), Tampa, USA 1999 As the matter stands, L.A. International Biennal, Patricia Faure Gallery, Los Angeles, USA 1999 6/7, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland 1999 Kvaliplasztik, Kunsthalle Szombathely, Hungary 2001 Days of hope, Biennale die Venezia, Venedig, Italy ME/WE, Vienna Secession, Vienna, Austria 2004 Farbige Plastik, , Salzburg, Austria 2005 Lichtkunst aus Kunstlicht, ZKM Karlsruhe, Germany 2006 Krieg der Knöpfe, Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal-Unteröwisheim, Germany 2008 Under Pain of Death, ACI, New York City 2008 Zu Gironcoli, eine Hommage II, Gironcoli Museum Schloss Herberstein, St. Johann bei Herberstein, Styria, Austria 2010 Körpercodes. Menschenbilder aus der Sammlung, Museum der Moderne, MdM Salzburg, Austria 2011 Puppen-Projektionsfiguren in der Kunst, Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden, Germany 2012 Gold, Belvedere, Vienna, Austria 2012 Die Sammlung, 21er Haus, Vienna, Austria 2012 European Glass Context 2012, Bornholm Art Museum, Gudhjem, Denmark 2012 Der nackte Mann, Lentos Art Museum, Linz, Austria 2013 Vom Raum zur Fläche, Museum Liaunig, Neuhaus, Austria 2013 Un bonhomme de neige en été, Atelier 340 Muzeum, Brüssel, Belgium