With a long-standing fascination with cars, Pierre-Alain Münger has developed his interest in the destruction and deformation of form into an artistic practice. Having spent years researching car crashes and the practical engineering results of kinetic force on a metal body, the artist conducts crash tests in which automobiles move at up to 70 mph into painted metal. A process that requires hours of planning and preparation, the method and execution become part of the art as much as the final sculptural product. The crashes are filmed and documented and witnessed by a number of spectators who contribute to the piece’s performative nature. Every step in the creation adds dimensional weight to the work’s narrative. From planning stages to the eventual imprint, each bend and dent formed into the metal plate tells a dynamic story. The technique is controlled, such as the speed and the angle at which the car crashes, but the ultimate result is unique and impossible to reproduce. Münger says, “I provoke just enough for the work to exist and come to fruition. I provide the impetus.”

Currently living and working in Solothurn, Switzerland, Pierre-Alain Münger studied at the Biel School of Visual Arts. He worked in a small business where he learned to manipulate and craft with metal and later worked as an assistant to sculpture artist Carlo Borer where he discovered and developed his own artistic endeavors. He continues to explore multimedia techniques and participates in solo and group exhibitions across Europe.