“Guards of Time” is a spectacular project by Austrian artist Manfred Kielnhofer, which gives tangibility to the idea that humankind has had benevolent protectors since the beginning of time, for both historic, as well as mystical reasons. The light art project is currently on tour in Venice.

The “time guards,” whom Kielnhofer has named “Madonna and sisters,” have been modeled on the human form, as with a lot of his other works.

Snip from the description of the project:

It seems that only man himself is a potential source of danger for his own existence. In his works of art Manfred Kielnhofer deals with the natural human desire for security. Thus his oeuvre reflects genuine exploration, consideration and discussion of current as well as historic moods and sensibilities of his social environment. His works of art captivate with elaborate combinations of light and different technique.

Kielnhofer is a self-taught artist, who was born in Haslach an der Mühl, Austria. He dabbles with various art mediums, which include painting, photography, film, art installation, performance and sculpture. He states that “his work usually concerns the human figure, and its different forms and movements, focusing mainly on the peculiarities of human nature.”

Visit his site to see more artwork (some parts of the site are NSFW).

More images after the jump.

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