Stefan Strumbel

It has been nearly eight years since German artist Stefan Strumbel bowed to the law with the utmost reluctance. He turned his back on graffiti and turned to legal art instead. Like pop stars who suddenly light up the sky of music, Strumbel stormed on to the art scene with a breakthrough installation – a reinterpretation of the traditional cuckoo clock.

The first person to buy one was a veterinary surgeon. Another memorable customer was fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who posed with one of the clocks in a self-portrait published in Stern magazine in 2008.

Strumbel, who is 33 years old, speaks as quickly as Lagerfeld and promises probably as much creative output. We met him as he prepared for his show in Karlsruhe to mark the 900th anniversary of the German state of Baden. Strumbel will be unveiling a monumental cuckoo clock in front of Karlsruhe’s castle, and exhibiting at the city’s museum and Schrade art gallery, where his works can also be purchased.

He spoke to us about his work in Germany, as well as the German concept of “Heimat.” It’s a word that has no English translation, but denotes the relationship a human has towards society and the idea of home.

Read the full interview in the printed issue of Wertical.

Release: 2014.

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