Artist Interview: Koywe Kollage
We welcome back another artist who took part in the Pop-Up Shows, Koywe Kollage!
We are really pleased to have more of Koywe Kollage’s work on display at The Ballery, and to have an interview to share with you today.
Take a look at the links below the interview for more works.
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.
You recently took part in our Pop-Up Shows, how did you find the exhibitions?
The exhibition was a blast. It was actually really full but I had a really good time chatting with other artists. The Ballery always has a nice atmosphere which I found quite fascinating.
The fact that Simon asked the artists to talk about their exhibited artwork at the finissage made it very special.
Can you tell us a bit about this work?
The inspiration behind these two pieces is based on the idea that everyone can do with their bodies whatever they want, as long as this doesn’t harm the rest. In this specific case, two female bodies are tied up celebrating and embracing the art of bondage.
By removing the first layer of skin, it is possible to glimpse what we are really made of meat/flesh. The component that we all share and that it does not distinguish divisions of sex, color, race, or gender.
In the end, no matter who you are and what you do in the bedroom, inside we are all a cluster of flesh that deserves equal respect.
What does ‘fetish’ mean to you?
It means to me the exploration of the self in unconventional directions, the mystery of knowing what else gives us pleasure, the freedom to choose what to do with your body and perhaps most importantly, that it is a practice or inclination towards something that is based on the consent of all parties involved.
What made you apply for this call in particular?
I found the Open Call theme very tempting and it opens the door to many types of interpretations (which I look forward to seeing). At the same time the two submitted works have a special place in my heart as they are some of the first works that were published in different media such as zines and bogs.
Do you feel the discussion around fetishes is a balanced one, or do you think it often comes from one particular perspective?
I don’t know if there is a one-sided discussion, I think many people in Berlin see the subject in a similar way, and I think that when the concept of fetish or the person who practices it is stigmatized, it is because there is simply a lack of knowledge of what it really is.
Do you think Berlin has a unique connection to fetishism, if so why?
Yes, it’s at least a special connection that you don’t hear so much from other cities.
I think that maybe the fact that in Berlin people can do whatever they want and nobody cares, helps people to dare to explore their own sexuality in a different way without fear of being judged.