Category: The Ballery

What is your background? Perhaps you could briefly introduce yourself and your practice?

I mainly deal with the issues of vulnerability and psychological exceptional states. I use and interpret experiences from my biography and my history of mental illnesses. In my work I also take up my interest in the abstraction of the human body and the animalistic and absurd in human behavior and emotional life. It is often the case that I intuitively choose a material and / or technique that is close to my chosen topic in some way. For example, I find the feel of a material suitable for a feeling that I want to convey. Or a certain technique helps me to add a certain atmosphere to a work.

Currently, a lot of my work is in the field of video and installation.

Have you shown any work at The Ballery before? 

 No.

What made you apply for this call?

I visited some exhibitions at the Ballery before and liked the curatorial selection. Then an artist friend sent me the open call and I thought: Great opportunity! 

Why did you choose to submit the work that you did?

I had the feeling it would match the interests and focus of the Ballery.

Can you tell us a bit about this work?

The photo shows a section of a human face – digitally transformed into an insect-like being.

Has it been shown before?

No.

What are your biggest influences?

My history of mental illnesses and my connectedness with animals.

What is your background? Perhaps you could briefly introduce yourself and your practice?

I studied painting at the UDK and since then I am active as an artist; with a focus on mixed media paintings, textile work (such as embroideries) and installations.  The human body, in the context of the self portrait, as a portal between the personal inner life and the external events is the central topic of my work, always guided by the question of the meaning of our existence and an investigation on a religious, poetic and romantic level.

Have you shown any work at The Ballery before? 

Not yet – I am really looking forward to being part of the group show.

What made you apply for this call?

I have been following the gallery program for quite a while and somehow this felt like the right moment to do it.

Why did you choose to submit the work that you did?

Actually I was applying with some other work, but Simon asked me if ‘Wau Wau’, the painting I will show is also available.

Can you tell us a bit about this work?

It’s a portrait of my dog Willi who became part of my life 2 years ago and is really a heart opener to me. So somehow it is also a self portrait.The title is Wau Wau or: the unbearable lightness of being, which refers to the idea of being in the present moment. 

Has it been shown before?

No.

What are your biggest influences?

Music is a big influence as well as practicing Yoga, which has created a change in my thinking about what is really important in life.

Today we are also sharing an interview with Koywe Kollage, who is showing the work ‘BIA 1’, a mixed media analog collage, at the first of the Pop-Up Shows opening this Friday. 

What is your background? Perhaps you could briefly introduce yourself and your practice?

I´m a mixed media and analog collage artist from Chile, based in Berlin that goes by the name of “Koywe Kollage”. My collection of unique cut collages is based on the search for artistic expression through paper as the main working material.  

Have you shown any work at The Ballery before? 

Yes, I participated for the first time in 2019 with one of my collages that was sold on the day of the Vernissage. Then in 2020, I participated twice, showing a total of 5 pieces. 

What made you apply for this call?

As I am already familiar with the gallery, I know the kind of exhibitions you do and I really like the way you work, the kind of audience The Ballery attracts and the selection of artists you include. There is always a good atmosphere in the gallery. 

Why did you choose to submit the work that you did?

Every time I participate in the Open Calls of The Ballery, I like to show the versatility in my work and, although this work is not within my recurring themes, it has for me, a special energy and a message of empowerment that I wanted to share with the friends of The Ballery. 

Can you tell us a bit about this work?

The name of this piece is BIA 1 and it’s part of a series of three mixed media analog collages called “BIA IN THREE SKINS – The personification of force and raw energy in different bodies”

The inspiration and name for the series come from Greek mythology. In ancient Greek: Βία, means “power, force, might” and it was the female personification of strength, anger, and raw energy.

I’m channeling and embracing this powerful feminine invisible energy represented in abstract portraits.

Each work begins with naked body b&w photographs that serve as a blank canvas that later, with the addition of paint floating in the water, absorbs and captures the tonalities and movement of that paint, simulating an invisible energy that emerges and floats in the darkness.

Has it been shown before?

It hasn’t been shown live yet, but I have already posted it on my Instagram account and website. 

What are your biggest influences?

My greatest influence comes from what inspires me, such as nature, the human body, sex, queerness, and how they relate to each other and coexist in this world. I try to portray that which surrounds us yet is non-visible and intangible as abstracts, likening it to the universal energy with which we coexist and which we also emit.