Raphael Danke

‹Ohne Titel›
2015
Raphael Danke works with paper collages, each made from one page of a fashion magazine. Before he takes a magazine apart, it is first photographed. He holds each page against the light and thus finds an impressive, ghostly surreal imagery. He then captures images that match his subjects with the camera of his mobile phone. Collages created by light, made with the smartphone.

‹Broken Windows›
2006
The sculpture, made of a windowless, cut-up skylight, remounted via a central axis, combines aspects of several social science and psychoanalytic theories. The title of the sculpture refers to an essay by James Wilson and George Kelling. They argue that one broken window that is not repaired leads to more broken windows and vandalism, which in turn leads to more fear and crime in a city.

The great effect of a small change also takes into account the theory of the ‹butterfly effect›, which Danke ties in with the formal design of the sculpture. It is assumed that there is great sensitivity to small deviations in complex dynamic systems. Slightly changed initial conditions can lead to a completely different development in the long term. In other words, if the butterfly flaps its wings, it could trigger a hurricane on the other side of the earth.


Raphael Danke
lives and works in Berlin (* 1972 Aachen, Germany).

Education
Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee

Teaching assignments
Lecturer for sculpture at the Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee

Exhibitions (selection)
2009: Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, Switzerland / 2012: MOT International, London, UK / 2016: Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt / 2017: Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt / 2019: Norma Mangione Gallery, Turin, Italy

Raphael Danke, untitled, 2015, C-Print (single piece), 34 x 25 cm, framed 49 x 40,2 cm
© Raphael Danke, image: Raphael Danke

Raphael Danke, Broken Windows, 2006, Stahl, schwarzer Lack, Gelenkteil, ca. 204 x 140 x 70 cm
© Raphael Danke, photo: Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Raphael Danke, 2016