The concept artist Gerhard Leeb from Villach has donated a painting to the Denk.Raum.Fresach on the occasion of the European Tolerance Dialogues 2015 that shall be the foundation stone to a special tolerance collection. The picture “Lampedusa 02” originates from the series “Flotsum” and was made 2014 under the impression of the Austrian Broadcast headlines concerning the refugee catastrophes in the Mediterranean Sea. Two pieces of wood float on the surface of turbulent, black-blue water representing human “flotsam”. “After the discussion at Fresach on Friday I simply wished to bring the painting. The Poetry Slam on Saturday showed to me, that my spontaneous decision was right”, said Gerhard Leeb. Early on in his life the autodidact (*1952) became interested in nature and artistic expressions. The lack of a university education he compensated by photography, his first exhibition took place 1968. After completing a commercial and photography apprenticeship and educational trips and working stays abroad in Scandinavia, Germany, Italy and France followed land and concept art projects and installations. Among them one together with Hans Bischoffshausen at and around the gallery “Hildebrand” at Klagenfurt. While Leeb kept searching by ways photography for new forms of expressions, his artistic projects were becoming more and more socially critical and sometimes up to the minute. Land art projects like “the destruction of lagoon city “, or the design of a “portable war memorial“ belong to that period. The will to lifelong learning, got Gerhard Leeb again and again to breadwinning jobs. Their he was able to learn printing techniques and to get educated as a graphic designer. Further station were newspaper editor, industrial design for white water proof dinghies, the publishing of magazines like “Planet Alpen” and “Planet Adria” and several nature and cultural guides, in between again and again national and international exhibitions and city development concepts – like the “alp city of the year” – which got him the environment award of the county Carinthia and of the city Villach. Since 1990 Leeb has been self employed. During the last years Leeb delivered land and concept art projects which attracted attention mainly by their socially critical and political attitude. His works range from criticism of China’s politics (“Sternentor nach Tibet” 2008, purchased by the city Villach) to consumerist garbage (“Plastic Fence” 2012) up to his “Jetsam” objects, which represent for Leeb the increasing number of people who become human jetsam.
