Originally trained as a stonemason, Polzin launched his international career as a freelance sculptor, painter, graphic artist and stage designer in 1991, building on the success of his first exhibition in Berlin's Kulturhaus-Pankow four years earlier. In 1994 Polzin was invited by Dr. Gary Smith, founding director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam, to present the first exhibition of solo work at the Institute: Arbeiten im Einstein Forum. The introduction to the exhibition catalogue was written by Professor Hans Belting. Polzin's series of paintings, Monster, appeared in a collection of images and essays edited by the pioneering American cultural historian, Sander Gilman, published in 1995.
Exhibitions of his works include the Getty Center in Los Angeles (2000), Budapest, Bucharest and Naples (2001), at the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin (2004), Bard College, New York (2006), Van Leer Institute of Israel (2007), San Francisco International Arts Festival (2008) and at the Teatro Real in Madrid (2011). Sculptures in public places include "The Fallen Angel" in front of the Semper Observatory Collegium Helveticum in Zurich, the "Giordano Bruno Memorial" in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, "Socrates" on the campus of Tel Aviv University, and "The Couple," commissioned by the Opera National de Bastille, Paris. Polzin’s sculptures are all cast by Marc Krepp.
Polzin has worked with the composers Amos Elkana, Helmut Lachenmann and György Kurtág connecting their music with visual arts. Polzin was a guest at the International Artist House in Herzliya, Israel, ETH Zurich, The Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, California and first 'Artist in Residence' at the Center for Advanced Study at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Law as Culture" in Bonn. Polzin taught as a guest professor at the ETH Zurich and the University of California at Santa Cruz. Polzin regularly works as a set designer for opera, dance and drama.
Stage and costume designs (selection)
2015 - Stage design Mauricio Sotelo "El Público" (World Premiere) Teatro Real, Madrid, Director: Robert Castro - Conductor: Pablo Heras-Casado
2004 - Stage design “Creatures of Habit” Sophiensaele, Berlin
2003 - Stage design “Slaughter” Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen, Potsdam
2003 - Stage design “Jerusalem Syndrome” Sophiensaele, Berlin
2003 - Stage design “Baucis and Philemon” Staatsoper Berlin
2002 - Stage design “Remains” Sophiensaele, Berlin
Sculptures and projects (selection)
2015 - Cover design for "Concepts and the Social order, Robert K. Merton and the Future of Sociology", Edited by Yehuda Elkana, András Szigeti, and György Lissauer, CEU Press
2015 - Cover design for "Reflexiones sobre la ópera, el arte, y la política" by Gerard Mortier
2012 - Homage to Teatro Real for the magazine Intramuros
2011 – Unveiling of the sculpture "Homage to Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar"; Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Law as Culture” in the presence of His Excellency Ajit Kumar, Consul General of the Republic of India in Frankfurt am Main
2010 – Book on Sculpture "Requiem - Homage to György Kurtág", Mathes und Seitz (Authors: Moshe Zuckermann, Jean Louis Fabiani, Peter Stefan Jungk, Judith Frigyesi Niran, Andre Plesu, Durs Gruenbein, Antjie Krog, Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin, Martin Treml, Almuth Sh. Bruckstein Coruh, Annett Groeschner, Michael Maede, Karl Heinz Barck, Peter Esterhazy, Hannah Duebgen, Michael Roes, Bettina Motikat)
2009 – Homage to Robert Merton – sound sculptures together with Amos Elkana for the conference "Concepts and the Social Order: Robert K. Merton and the Future of Sociology"
2009 – Cover design for Moshe Zuckermann "Sixty Years of Israel", Pahl-Rugenstein Publishers
2008 – Award Ceremony to Kofi Annan – recipient of the "kleine Bruno skulptur" (Open Society Prize)
2008 - Installation of Giordano Bruno Monument at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (Bahnhof Potsdamer Platz - Deutsche Bahn AG). Speeches by the Italian Ambassador (Puri Purini) and German author Durs Grünbein
2008 – Memorial stone for George Tabori in the Dorotheenstadt cemetery, Berlin
2008 – Inauguration of the sculpture "The Couple" in the foyer of the Opera National de Paris - speech by Prof. Hans Belting
2006 – Design and production of the Elemér Hantos Prize for the Central Europe Foundation, Zürich
2005 – “neunzehnter” exhibition in the Berliner Kunsthaus ACUD
2005 - Cover photo for Rigas Laiks (Kunstmagazin / Lettland)
2004 – Portrait of Josef Tal for CD recording by NDR Radio Philharmonie
2004 – Series of pictures and cover for book on Heiner Müller "Kalkfell II" Academy of the Arts
2003 – Series of six paintings of Thomas Brasch for a book published by the Academy of Arts, Berlin. Bought for the Collection of Foreign Ministry
2001 – Memorial stone for Thomas Brasch in the Dorotheenstadt cemetery Berlin
2001 - Presentation in the Arts Gallery, Berlin on Long Night of Sciences
2001 – Commission for the mural "Chaim's Brief" for the renovated Jewish Orphanage Berlin-Pankow / Installation of the granite sculpture "The Stone Merchant" in front of the orphanage
2011 – Presentation of the sculptures series äsentation der Skulpturenserie "Five sculptural sketches of Caravaggio’s David and Goliath" with Prof. Hans Belting; Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Law as Culture” Bonn
2008 - ArtworkSF, San Francisco International Arts Festival
2004 - “Age of Anxiety” Opendoors Openeyes - Bordeaux, France
2004 - shadow-collaborations, Chernoff Gallery, Novosibirsk, Russia
2001 - Martin-Gropius-Bau "Theatre of Nature and Art": „Meditierende Gruppe“ (Skulpturengruppe)
2001 - Goethe-Institut, Naples, Bucharest and Budapest Exhibition “Age of Anxiety” (Eroeffnungsreden: Imre Kertész, Andrei Pleșu)
1999 – “Age of Anxiety” in Galerie Forum Amalienpark, Berlin: 99 paintings inspired by W. H. Auden’s poem of the same title (opening speech: Moshe Zuckermann)
1998 – Galerie Ariadne in Vienna (opening speech: Herbert Lachmayer)
1998 – Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin (opening speech: Elmar Zorn)
1997-2001 - Einstein Forum, Potsdam with pictures and sculptures (opening speech: Gary Smith)
1997 - Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (opening speech: Dieter Simon)
1995 - Givat Ha Viva Kibbutz, (Israel) Exhibition “Monster” (20 paintings) followed by publication of the book “Abortion” with images and essays edited by Sander Gilman (opening speech: Yehuda Elkana)
Artist in residence (selection)
2010/11 - Artist-in-Residence Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Law as Culture”, Bonn
2008 - Visiting Artist at the University of California in Santa Cruz
2006 - Artist-in-Residence Villa Montalvo and Don Lucas Artists Program
1998 - Collegium Helveticum Zürich, Exhibition and Artist in Residence ETH Zürich
1996/97 - Invitation to International Artists House in Herzliya, Israel (6 months): sculpture “The Stone Merchant” and Exhibition (Text: “The Stone Beast has lost its earlobe”)
Curator (selection)
2011 – Curator of the conference “Guilt II” at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Law as Culture” Bonn, including guest speakers Moshe Zuckermann, Toshio Hosokawa, Fawwaz Traboulsi and Ryoko Aoki
2010 - Curator of the conference “Guilt I” at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Right as Culture” Bonn, including guest speakers Sudhir Kakar, Ramin Jahanbegloo, Antjie Krog and Fritz Lichtenhahn
2009 – Consultant for Exhibition design “Images in the Islamic World” in Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin
2009 – Guest Professor for Stage Design at UCSC, USA.
