Fossils

The 1999 Frankfurt Book Fair and the Expo 2000 exhibitions were pivotal in Gregor Gáll’s career, where his sculpture series garnered particular attention. His works exhibit the restless expressiveness of our civilization. Gregor refers to his sculptures as relics or fossils; these sculptures are not merely assemblies of forms and figures, they are symbolic manifestations of the geological past overlaying the present.

Gregor sees his creations as plastic symbols, reflecting the elemental force of the world, synthesizing and reinterpreting as he seeks new paths. The artist perceives the history of humanity in an utterly original manner, as if from a high vantage point, where it all appears as a single swirling process. His art strives to refer back to the earliest beginnings and also to glimpse into a distant future of the universe, which is barely conceivable to man.

As viewers immerse themselves in this world, the forms evoke figurative associations, conjuring images of plant, animal, and human figures. With this series, he creates a new form of art where nonfigurative and figurative elements organically merge to form a distinct, ambiguous world. Here, winged creatures, contorted human figures, phallic suggestions, and grotesque monster masks all find their place. The sculptures’ multivalence not only assures their artistic power but also their contemporaneity.

The series' sculptures carry both modern and ancient traits where signs and motifs from various eras converge. The multivalence of the works, the sculptor’s commanding overview of the world, and his historical references simultaneously invoke humanity’s prehistory, the ancient, medieval, baroque, and renaissance eras, as well as the modern world. Through Gregor’s sculptures, the contrast between history and the present is depicted, while narrating the symbolic story of humanity’s evolution.

The dual axiom of human existence, that "nothing is more wondrous nor more monstrous than man," embodies these works. Gregor's art communicates a profound philosophical message: the cyclical nature of destruction and creation, in which humanity is both the forger and the victim of its own story. Each sculpture is a standalone universe, where the perpetual motion and transformation of forms are metaphors for the constant change of existence.

Gregor’s artistic credo is intimately intertwined with the message of the "Fossils" series. The artist emphasizes the necessity of integrating and renewing human life and culture, directing attention towards a vision of the future where humanity can take responsibility for its own destiny and environment. His sculpture series not only illuminates the issues of the past and present but also sheds light on future problems: “The consumer society and mass production inevitably lead to a society of diminishing values, and the deteriorating quality of the objects surrounding us permeates, degrades, and devalues our bodies and souls." Gregor Gáll’s sculptures articulate a critique of contemporary society while also hinting at the hope for a spiritually enlightened future era.