Welcome to My World: Stefan Marx

What is your personal world like right now? 

Well, my world is quite peaceful at the moment. My plans are going ahead, I'm happy with my work and with the year, which is slowly coming to an end. I'm pretty happy in my world. 

Are you someone who sums things up at the end of the year? 

No, I think a lot throughout the year. That's important for an artist. When you're planning an exhibition and showing things that you've previously worked out in a quiet little room, self-reflection is a constant theme. However, I like the fact that society looks back at the end of the year.  

Your art is inspired by the techno and skater scene and the ’90s. Are you nostalgic? 

Not at all. Of course I like to remember my past, the bands I used to like, but I don't feel nostalgic. The world of flying is a good example. When someone says that everything used to be better, that people used to fly with more style, that flying “back then” was still something special – this retro talk doesn't interest me at all. I think everything is brilliant today. 

Is there an experience that has shaped your life as an artist? 

I grew up in a village of 500 people near Kassel in Germany. Contemporary art wasn't a big topic there – or art at all. However, the Documenta takes place in Kassel every five years. I went there for the first time in 1992 as part of a school trip. I was about to leave school for Documenta X in 1997 and bought my first season ticket with my pocket money. I was completely fascinated by the art, but also by the supporting program that the curator at the time, Catherine David, had put together. It was called “100 days, 100 guests”. I went there in the evening and listened to talks by architects, journalists, and artists. They were brilliant moments that raised many personal questions, but also reflected world events. That's what art is all about. 

Was that an awakening experience? Would your life have taken a different direction without that Documenta? 

Perhaps yes. But I'm not sure if you ever stand at a crossroads in life. I found the questions that were dealt with there inspiring – even if I didn't understand some of them at the time, or was unable to project them onto my own world. But it did get me thinking about how you can create images that are relevant, that trigger questions in the person looking at them, that can perhaps even change them. 

Is that what makes art relevant for you: asking questions? 

Among other things, yes. I always find the feedback on my text-based artworks interesting – how they are understood. 

Is there ever a dissonance between your intention behind an image and how it is received? 

Of course I like praise and pats on the back, but I find it exciting when the personal interpretation comes into play – even if it isn’t only positive. I like the debate. 

How important is traveling in your life? 

For me, traveling means a reconnection to the world and to myself. A reset. As someone who deals a lot with writing, I like being surrounded by other languages and symbols. Being a bit lost and not always knowing immediately which way to go is part of it for me. I find the unknown and contact with strangers that I will never see again exciting. On a long-haul flight, perhaps, when you're very close to a stranger in the next seat for a long but limited time. I'm not really into small talk, but sometimes conversations come up in which you learn a lot of new things. 

Which trips have changed you? 

My first trip from Frankfurt to Portugal. It showed me how brilliant air travel is – that you can cover such a distance in such a short time. Immediately afterwards, I booked a trip to New York with my best friend. It was completely crazy: two skater kids in a shabby youth hostel in Brooklyn that was protected by barbed wire. We had to find our way around with a paper map of the city, as smartphones didn't exist back then. Also, my first trip to Japan: it felt like landing on Mars. 

What influence does traveling have on your art? 

I draw a lot when I travel, and I publish the drawings as an artist's book after almost every trip. Drawings have the advantage over photography that you can also capture things that you can't see – moods. I also make notes about many events that I have experienced. Sometimes this results in large pictures. 

You have a collaboration with Lufthansa for Art Basel Miami Beach. What do you associate with the airline? 

Lufthansa has been in my focus ever since I started working artistically with airlines, airplanes, and airports. I'm German and travel a lot with Lufthansa. I'm generally interested in the whole world of flying – the flight schedules, the fleet policy, the different types of aircraft. What makes an Airbus plane different from a Boeing? Which routes are served by which aircraft? 

What exactly does the collaboration between Art Basel Miami Beach, Lufthansa, and you look like? 

There will be a Lufthansa lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach. It looks a little different from an airport lounge. I would describe it as a special kind of exhibition space – a Lufthansa gallery, if you will. There will be an artist's book with airplane drawings and pictures by myself on display. The artworks are all inspired by air travel, with themes such as jet lag, the jetstream, flights during the day and at night. I have also designed items for traveling like amenity kits, sleep masks, t-shirts, and other clothing, as well as a carry-on suitcase.

You will be at Art Basel Miami Beach. Do you have any other travel destinations on your bucket list?

There are still many blank spots. I would love to see Antarctica. I'd love to set sail from the southern tip of South America on an expedition ship.