Wolfgang Laib - Here, Now and Far Beyond

The work of artist Wolfgang Laib (Metzingen, 1950) is a dialogue between contemporaneity and timelessness. The documentary follows him and his wife across three key locations in their lives: an estate in southern Germany, a house in India, and an apartment in New York. Since his early travels to India in the 1970s, Laib has been profoundly influenced by Eastern philosophies, which have shaped both his artistic practice and worldview. The artist works with a few essential natural materials, such as pollen, milk, rice, and wax, using them in installations that are simple yet deeply meaningful. His works reflect a fusion of art, nature, and daily life, inviting meditation on what is truly essential in an age of frenetic pace and sensory overload. Through references to various ancient cultures, Laib’s installations create a bridge between the present and a philosophical, spiritual past. The film was produced on the occasion of the artist’s solo exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart and also follows the evolution of his work during his participation in the 2019 exhibition at the Museo Novecento in Florence, held in historic spaces like the Convent of San Marco.