Stillstand der Sonne

Artists: Christian Andres, Thilo Droste, NASE (Nadja Milenkovic & Sebastian Seitz), René Moritz, Ulrich Vogl

Opening: Friday, December 19, 2014, 7:30 PM

In the dark days of the winter solstice (Latin: solstitium = standstill of the sun), an exhibition featuring light objects begins at Kunstverein Neukölln. Shadows, light, perceptual effects, and movements are components of the artistic exploration. The works on display address various thematic contents and phenomena that become visible through the interplay of light and darkness.

Christian Andres engages with the phenomenon and symbolism of light and shadow in his partially kinetic works. He draws inspiration from sources as diverse as Holbein's woodcuts and comic drawings. This results in a continuously repeating sequence of images with metaphysical significance.

Thilo Droste invites visitors to partake in an artificial artistic sunbath. The artist addresses both the skin's memory function and its archaic role as a canvas by offering stencils for visitors to be "tattooed" by the UV rays of a tanning bed. The vanity of the muse and the hubris of the artist, who inscribes (or burns) himself into his work like a sun god, are playfully brought together and questioned in this mischievous setup.

René Moritz has created the annual gift for Kunstverein Neukölln: the edition "Artist's box." Using a halved lens, he combines light and shadow into a collage, symbolizing the spark of inspiration. In another work, he assembles found packaging and materials with images and text into small projections. These fragile presentations evoke more the floating process of remembering than a precise representation.

The artist duo NASE (Nadja Milenkovic and Sebastian Seitz) presents an animated installation titled "Topik des Imaginären," where drawings on translucent paper and foil are choreographically staged through controlled lighting. The drawn spatial fragments are assembled in Plexiglas cubes and projected onto the walls and ceiling of the exhibition space through targeted backlighting. This work navigates the intersection between the real and the virtual world.

Ulrich Vogl's installation "Film" is based on optical phenomena. The shadow of a rotating hamster wheel, with its grid structure, creates an unsettling optical divergence, as the dark image appears to perform a different movement than the object itself. The otherwise reliable "companion" shadow thus develops a peculiar life of its own.

Curated by Dr. Martin Steffens

Accompanying Program:

Opening: Friday, December 19, 2014, 7:30 PM Presentation of the annual gift by René Moritz; start of the art lottery

Thursdays, January 8, 15, and 22, from 5:30 PM to 7 PM
"Supervised Tanning" with Thilo Droste

Sunday, January 25, 2015, 7:30 PM Closing event with artist talk and drawing of the art lottery
Performance "When the Night is Deepest, the Day is Nearest" (Rio Reiser),
Andreas Gogol: Projection with sound