On Sofa #8: Florian Witt’s Presentation with Q&A – On Emergence of Meaning

03 PM – 05 PM, Sat 01 Aug 2026
HAS Library
T2.4, 2nd Floor, Complex 01
Ngõ 167 Tây Sơn, Hà Nội
Registration link (Limited to 10 participants)
Language: English

From the organizer:

In the context of MAP 2024 and 2025, Witt turned the focus of his artistic practice towards language and its notions of mobility. For MAP 2025 – Arrival?, he developed the couch on which this presentation will take place. As the couch took on autonomy and meaning beyond its original purpose, On Sofa #8 will focus on those dynamics in art and his practice.

In this presentation Florian Witt will talk about his ongoing practice of looking into the emergence of meaning through art. In the context of his current journey through Indonesia and Vietnam he will present his project “prüfstein 2 – artifact of inquiry”, within which he is testing the limits of artistic concepts, cultural differences and mistakes in translations.

“Auf den Prüfstein stellen” is a german idiom which has its origins in the trade of rare metals in medieval times. A “Prüfstein” was a special stone with which you could test the purity of gold. Over time it developed into a general expression of testing ideas, concepts or theories.

Witt gave the “Prüfstein” a physical Form and uses it to test different situations and contexts. He visits local woodworkers and craftspeople to let them make a copy of it. Barriers and obstacles in language and culture transform the original idea and give it more autonomy.

How far can an idiom travel and retain its original meaning?
How will it change in the nomadic process of copying?

About artist

Florian Witt (born 1990) studied painting with Thomas Hartmann at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg and painting and drawing with Stephan Baumkötter and Katrin von Maltzahn at the University of the Arts Bremen from 2013 to 2021. Interdisciplinary translations characterize his playful visual and sculptural works, whereby particular attention is paid to observations of human structures. References to infrastructure and symbols, patterns and architecture, pictograms and symbols run through his works in text, drawing, painting, sculpture and publication. Florian Witt has exhibited works in Germany and Canada, as well as artist books in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan. In 2024 he began a year as a master student with Ingo Vetter.

Notes:

– This is a non-profit event. We encourage participants to support the artist with a small contribution from 80,000 VND as a gesture of appreciation. All proceeds will be given directly to the artist after the event.
– Doors will close at the scheduled start time (including for those who have registered). Please arrive on time to choose your seat.
– The event will be documented through photography and audio recording for archival, research, and communication purposes by the artist and Heritage Art Space. By attending, you consent to the use of this material.

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