Michael Sailstorfer

Michael Sailstorfer (b. 1979, Velden, Germany) is a German sculptor and installation artist based in Berlin. Working across sculpture, installation, video, and public art, his practice investigates the physical and symbolic properties of everyday materials, transforming familiar objects into poetic reflections on time, movement, and perception.

Using elements such as car tires, concrete, steel, light, sound, and found objects, Sailstorfer deconstructs and reconfigures commonplace materials, allowing processes of decay, friction, growth, and repetition to become integral components of his works. His installations frequently activate their surroundings through movement, sound, or kinetic interventions, blurring the boundaries between sculpture and performance while revealing the latent narratives embedded within ordinary objects.

Balancing conceptual rigor with humor and visual immediacy, Sailstorfer's practice explores the tensions between functionality and futility, permanence and transience, often infusing his works with an absurd yet deeply human quality. Since the early 2000s, he has established himself as one of the leading voices in contemporary German sculpture, with major exhibitions at institutions including the Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, Berlinische Galerie, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, S.M.A.K., Ghent, and the Public Art Fund, New York. His work is held in major public collections including the Centre Pompidou, Paris, the Städel Museum, Frankfurt, and the Berlinische Galerie.