A portrait of sculptor Sigrún Ólafsdóttir – a conversation about her Icelandic roots, her work with wood, rubber and steel, and her current projects

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir (1963) studied sculpture in her hometown of Reykjavík, Iceland, and then continued her studies in fine arts and sculpture with Wolfgang Nestler at the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (University of Fine Arts) in Saarbrücken. The artist’s main means of expression are drawing and sculpture.

Her central theme is the relationship between two forces that condition each other, for example movement and rest, statics and dynamics, heaviness and lightness. In her sculptures, the material – steel, aluminium, latex rubber or wood – plays a central role.

Her works are on display at the Galerie moderne in Saarbrücken as part of the exhibition “Gegenwärtige Bewegung ‘ (Contemporary Movement), which will run from 29 November 2025 to 12 April 2026. The artist, who has lived in Saarbrücken since the 1990s, was awarded the Albert Weisgerber Prize for Fine Arts by the city of St. Ingbert in 2022 for her outstanding work. For this special presentation in cooperation with the city of St. Ingbert, guest curator Andrea Fischer from the Albert Weisgerber Foundation selected works spanning several decades together with the artist.

Shownotes:

• The artist www.sigrun-olafsdottir.de
• The exhibition: https://www.modernegalerie.org/de/ausstellungen…
• The award: https://www.wssi.de/sigrun-olafsdottir-erhaelt-den-albert-weisgerber-preis-der-stadt-st-ingbert/

Foto Credits:

1: The portrait by Werner Richner
4: Dancer by Tom Gundelwein.
5: Duo: Erwin Altmeier
All others: Sigrún Ólafsdóttir

Verena Feldbausch: Let’s move on to the topics and inspiration. So your sculptures are about opposites. About black and white, male and female, hard and soft, distance and closeness. What interests you about these contrasts?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: My inner balance point. I know that now.

Verena Feldbausch: You know it after years of research.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I didn’t know it 30 years ago. Why have I been doing this all this time? And just like that.

Verena Feldbausch: And how do you find the balance between these opposites?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: By doing that. Like a meditation, not just sitting down twice a day, but the whole day. It’s a bit like how musicians have to sit and practise notes in order to be able to play the greatest works. It’s about simply trying, trying, trying. Throw it away, keep trying, practise. Until that is true at some point. And that is what I mean by this meditation. Pausing, despite all the opportunities to throw things against the wall and say how I used to do it. I am untalented. Why did I study art for eight years? If nothing comes of it. And that’s the difference now. And simply with more patience and understanding for the whole thing. It’s simply practicing, perseverance, determination. And if something is wrong and starts to annoy me, to sit down and say, okay, now it’s time to go home and I’ll look at it tomorrow. Is it really as bad as I think it is now? That is the difference.

Verena Feldbausch: That you no longer throw everything against the wall, but simply say, okay. Perhaps a break is called for.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Exactly.

Dynamics and Movement in Sculptures

Verena Feldbausch: And your sculptures are often not static, but in motion. Take the dancer, for example. This sculpture moves, it is dynamic. Why is this important to you?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Because without movement, life and everything stagnates. Not all my works are like this, but now we’re talking about the dancer. I also see them as bodies. I’ve always been so one-to-one, me and my counterpart, who is also something human, is perhaps too much to say, but it’s also an individual. That’s why I was never in favor of pedestals. If possible, I was in favor of something that could stand on its own on the floor without needing help. And at some point it came to the dancer. And I knew that it needed a very light side and a very heavy side. And that had to be brought into balance. Both with the height and shape of the wing and this hemispherical segment, which has to be stable enough, yet light enough to turn in the wind.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: And I spoke to my structural engineer about how I could do this. And then he said, I can’t do that. Because I have to have a fixed shape. A fixed point. So then, as I said, the eternal experiment started again. And that’s the case with – I’ve done different types of dancers – and everyone is only made for itself. I can’t make it twice. And the way the weights and how this hemispherical shell is plumbed is a unique thing. Where it has to be constantly tried. With the movement of the wing, with the inclination of the wing. In combination with the diameter shown below. And that it can still move. And that simply is… it’s very human. It is easy to fall despite all the possibilities. It is actually a miracle that we are alive. How often have we had the opportunity to simply fall once and for all and not get up again? And they are all balanced in such a way that they can be used even at the highest, not the end of the world, of course, but in the strongest winds they are balanced so that they don’t fly away.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: But the exciting thing is, in the past, they didn’t used to have this turntable with ball bearings to keep them in one place. Because if they didn’t have that, that support with ball bearings, that it can move, then they wandered in the wind. And of course that wasn’t good when they wander across the street and somehow walk into the city. In other words, the idea has evolved so that they simply stay in place, but can still turn and move.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes. Exactly.

Verena Feldbausch: And as we have already said, your work is often about the brief moment, when both opposites are equally strong. So when they are in balance. I quote Cornelieke Laagerwart: It is about the pause between inhaling and exhaling, between ebb and flow, between centrifugal force and gravitational pull. When the ball thrown up hangs in the air for a moment. What do you think of this moment?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: He’ll come to me when I’m ready. And I often have to wait a long time for it. I can’t force it.

Verena Feldbausch: That’s what you said about putting the work away, putting it away again and then looking at it again. And then it can take years.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I think that’s what most artists do. For this, we can call it a reward, but you struggle for so long, you are sitting for so long, practicing, practicing notes. Like the musicians, they have to sit for a long time. Then suddenly this happens. And that’s the moment when I say it’s not me doing it, it’s happening. Where you are simply the tool that is ready to happen.

Verena Feldbausch: To allow that to happen.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Allowing and being open to it. It’s also about being open to this moment. And I can’t force this moment. That is the be-all and end-all. I think that’s where I realized pretty early on that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. To experience such moments when everything is right and everything falls into balance. The other is practice, of course. It often starts very easily with an idea. Then comes the process and you think, what is this actually? And then simply, as I said, this patience, this understanding for what wants to be born, not to give up.

Influence of Icelandic Culture

Verena Feldbausch: Does your Icelandic origin also play a role in the content of your sculptures? So I think of the myths of nature spirits, of elves and trolls, of symbols and of the very special landscape in Iceland.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: For sure. So these extremes alone. They are simply crazy people. With crazy natural elements. Light, dark, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. We become all the more aware of the fact that we only have a very thin crust like an apple skin, when you have a huge apple, then everything inside is a glowing core. And it only takes one tiny little accident to wipe it all away. Because you can experience it with us. And I also grew up in a place like that in Iceland, where you either saw earthquakes in waves and thought you were suddenly on the sea in the meadow, or you were looking out of the kitchen window at a spewing volcano. For us, this is natural because we don’t know anything else. We also have this respect for these forces of nature. And it certainly has something to do with these opposites and the light and dark sides of me.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I now think and feel that it’s the DNA of Icelanders and everyone who lives this far north.

Approach to Death and Spirituality

Verena Feldbausch: Is there a different way of dealing with death in Iceland?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: You know, it’s like that. We actually have the best of both worlds through paganism and Christianity. When they were on the road, the Christians. Then our pagan chieftain sat under the fur day and night. And said to his people: we accept Christianity. Otherwise they will slaughter us all. But they only come twice a year to check us out. And we have the best of both worlds.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Every grandpa goes with a child, even if he says, what kind of superstition is that, there are no elves and trolls, and tells the grandchild that. I say my grandpa was my everything. I was lucky. My parents were so young, they were 20 and 23 and didn’t even know each other when I was conceived. My mother somehow thought it was time to try having sex because her friends had all done it. And she got pregnant the first time. She hadn’t thought of that. And they didn’t know each other, my parents. And yes, you simply live with it differently. That’s how it is … we are also sometimes envied. I also say, you know, the ones who left like my grandpa. He was my surrogate father. I was the first grandchild and born on his birthday. And he waited a long time for it, because my grandma and grandpa had lost their first three children at birth.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: And my mother and my aunt lived. In other words, he loved children and waited for children. And the relationship between my parents was very difficult. And I always had my niche with grandma and grandpa. And I thought God was going to die when I was 14 and my grandpa was dying. And then he said, Sigrún, you know I’ll never leave you. Even if you don’t see me anymore. I will always be with you. And all you have to do is call me and I’ll come. And I swear to you.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, fine.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: And that has always been the case. We are not in God’s fear or God’s dread. We are believers, but not religious. That is the difference. We believe, but it is not the punishing God. We always go to church at Christmas and so on, because it is simply for the beautiful music. The pastors also keep it short, because they know people come for the beautiful Christmas music and for the whole… For the atmosphere like this. Yes, and my great-grandfather was the most famous pastor, that existed in Iceland. Several volumes have been written about him. Because he was a social worker. He had eleven children himself. They all lived. There were many child deaths. He rode from farm to farm. He was in the country to simply teach people about cleanliness. And you know, the human thing. And even if he was in the country and the farmers came to church on Sundays, then he also kept the sermons short, because people had come to sniff and kiss. And you know, the younger people preferred hand in hand and have a little snog somewhere in the meadow. You know, it was about humanity.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: And that, I think, is the difference. So we have the most beautiful of paganism and Christianity. And Siggi, my son, he also lost his father at 49. And he said that Dad is with me every day when I need advice. He was also an artist, a musician. And you know, in his subject now at Kulturgut Ost, he needs advice. Dad, how would you do it? And then the Germans sometimes say, you know, are you Icelanders all crazy? No. I say, you know, the ones that go away, they haven’t gone any further than that, that every day they are with us. But we don’t go to cemeteries, they’re not there. Well. They are in us, with us.

Emptiness and Space in Sculpture

Verena Feldbausch: How do you deal with the topic of emptiness and space? So in sculpture, it is what is not there, often just as important as what is there.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Exactly, it’s like those pauses between breaths. It also has something to do with that. And I see my work… most of my sculptures are, I also see them like drawings. And it’s important to me that you can go in and out. It was also important to me, for example when working in the city, Duo, at the same time, because it was supposed to, even if it didn’t turn out that way, it was supposed to be a square, which it didn’t become, because we got other information about the place.

Verena Feldbausch: This is the place where your sculpture now stands here in Saarbrücken.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Yes, near the Café Bar Celona.

Verena Feldbausch: Exactly, on the Saar.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Yes. And there was meant to be more space. And they now have more seating than we were told. It was important to me to do something that children could get in and out of, where it is also a place where you can play. And that’s the thing I’m most happy about, where I go to visit it from time to time, the children hang on the rubber, they climb and the skaters also ride there. You can see in a few places in the sculpture where it is very smooth, and that’s where the skaters tried to go, to integrate this into society, to bring it to the people. That it is not just somehow a sacred statue, but, and that’s what I’ve tried to do now in the sculptures that are outside, that you can go in and out.

Verena Feldbausch: And that the material can withstand it.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Yes. As fragile as possible. And again, standing, despite the possibility of falling.

Stability and Instability

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, exactly. And that’s what’s so interesting about your sculptures. They are elegant and at the same time you have a sense of threat. So you ask yourself, how does it actually hold what is hanging from the ceiling or swinging outside? Doesn’t that somehow fall over? So can you tell us something more about the relationship between stability and instability?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: That brings me back to myself. It’s just like inside us. Sometimes the anger glows and sometimes there is stoic calm. And that is also in the works. Without intending to do so.

Verena Feldbausch: I think your sculptures are often super elegant. You have such beautiful sculptures, the ones hanging from the ceiling for example. Or when I’m standing next to the dancer, I ask myself, isn’t he going to fall on me or something? There is a kind of threat, that is perhaps too much to say, rather a fear for this balance?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: That’s the part that’s intentional. This is about mindfulness. A lot of my work, if you’re not careful with it, you can hurt yourself. Just like with everything else. But that is intentional. Mindfulness has never been as necessary as it is now. Because it is carelessness and ignorance that has simply brought us into the world where we are now. Indifference. This lack of feeling for togetherness, for each other, cohesion. But in the case you asked, no, it doesn’t fall over because it has been tested several times and is not a coincidence. Instead, what seems threatening is stable in itself, even if it appears so.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: It is a reminder of what can happen. And that, in turn, is also these two sides of me that I know very well. Because I know my bright side, I also know my dark side. They are dark. And just as it is important for me to get this right, the same rules apply to my work. And that is again, from the inner strength comes the outer appearance.

Artistic Influences

Verena Feldbausch: Are there any artists who have particularly influenced or accompanied you?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I have several favorites. Louise Bourgeois was always one. Eva Hesse. I could name many. There were also British artists in the 80s, such as Richard Deacon, Tony Cragg and then (Barry) Flanagan and several others. I saw an incredibly beautiful exhibition in San Francisco. That was in ’87, because I know I was heavily pregnant at the time and wanted to take the opportunity before a child came along and took some time. Yes, even the things by Goya in the Prado, for example. I could go on for hours… That is simply across history. Yes, and you just get influences anyway, because it’s so much. And in most artists, this influence or experience is in some way reinterpreted or recaptured and brought into the world.

Verena Feldbausch: Exactly, and that’s the interesting thing about art.

Art Scene in SaarLorLux

Verena Feldbausch: How do you experience the art scene in our region, i.e. SaarLorLux, especially for female sculptors?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: This is rare.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, I also have to think about which female sculptors there are in the area.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Me too. There are some who do both, so they’re into this, how do you say, sound art or something, but that’s not much. Yes, as with competitions, I’m often the only woman there. Or maybe two, three and seven men… yes, that’s what it says.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, the art scene is not so open to female sculptors now, or what is the reason for that?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: It’s more time-consuming, you need more space, it’s heavy, it’s incredibly impractical. What have I done here? As my son said when he helped me here with the last move. Mom, why didn’t you choose something practical, like becoming a librarian? Dear, I have no sense of humor about it now. Yes, yes. No, it’s clear, it’s much easier with two-dimensional. To store that too.

Verena Feldbausch: That’s right, yes.

Two-Dimensional Works

Verena Feldbausch: Exactly, and here we still come to your two-dimensional works. We haven’t even talked about that yet, about the drawings and paintings. I think, as I said, the sculptures are often very, very delicate. And I’ve seen black tubes in the drawings. And yes, they are actually quite massive. How do you develop your drawings?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I needed time to appreciate my drawings. It was often such a welcome break to simply do something on canvas. So I’ve always drawn on paper, but at some point, as I tend to do big things. Of course, this touches between painting and drawing. But where it was just too big to frame or find paper when it goes the dimensions of two to three meters or larger, then I made my own ground, similar to handmade paper with a chalk base. And consciously too, when I was there with big gestures and black and then white, just in front of me, to work spontaneously. And I said, yes, that also offers the reverse, that a drawing can be heavy and massive, even if it has a certain movement and lightness to it, in contrast to sculpture, where it was always actually the opposite pole. So sculptures were heavy and drawings were light.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: And of course I also made very simple, light drawings, but these were often also the preliminary stage of movements in my sculptures. And then the others, for example, these ink and gesso drawings, almost like watercolors, several layers on top of each other, about this transparency. Then I was more interested in the movement.

Verena Feldbausch: You are also showing a fairly large drawing in your exhibition in the modern gallery.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: This is also a large ink and gesso drawing. So two, respectively. One format is 160 or 180 by three meters, and one 140 x 140. Of course we chose it together, me and the curator.

Public Projects and Exhibitions

Verena Feldbausch: You won the first prize in a competition in Raikjavik to design a public square. This is where the sculpture Reziprok, made of Corten steel, will go. And you are in the process of carrying out this order, so to speak. Yes, how far along are you? So what is the current state of affairs?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: We are so far along that all we really need is a fixed date in Iceland when it will be set up. It’s difficult in winter, little light, snowstorms. But soon we will start building here. It’s being built here, by my locksmith. Transported over it. And then he also comes along and sets it up. And I reckoned we wanted to have it ready by the end of the summer, but there were a few things in the contract that we had to work on in more detail. Purely practical things and that’s how I estimate it will be set up in Iceland in the spring.

Verena Feldbausch: And where exactly does it go?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: It is in the center of Reykjavik in a new building complex. There is an inner courtyard that is still open, but there is a place for a market and coffee, hotels, all kinds of activities, where several thousand people pass through every day. And within this building complex, which is open and accessible to all people, that’s where it comes in.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, fine. Great place, for sure. And very complex. So it is, in terms of dimensions, how big is it?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: 10, 12 meters wide, 10, 12 meters high. In this dimension. Oh, yeah. A grand gesture.

Verena Feldbausch: That means it will probably be inaugurated sometime next year.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: We’re actually just waiting for news from Iceland, because they’re organizing it locally with the cranes and all the housing we need for welding and everything. Because this is of course a huge building.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, yes.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: I have been working with a locksmith for over 30 years. We know each other very well by now. It is very valuable. He knows my way and I know his. And this has naturally grown together and matured during this time.

Verena Feldbausch: Lovely… I wish you every success.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Thank you.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, I’m very curious.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Me too.

Albert Weisgerber Prize and Exhibition

Verena Feldbausch: Let’s move on to the Albert Weisgerber Prize 2023. You won that one. Congratulations to this award.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Thank you.

Verena Feldbausch: And to mark the occasion, your works will be on display in a solo exhibition at the Moderne Galerie in Saarbrücken from November 29. What message or emotion do you want visitors to experience when they stand in front of your sculptures or drawings?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Touch. That’s what I always wish for when I go to exhibitions or when I go somewhere, no matter what it is, whether I’m going to the opera or something, it’s to be touched by something.

Verena Feldbausch: It’s important that art touches you.

Verena Feldbausch: The exhibition is entitled Contemporary Movement. Does the title also allude to today’s political and social movement?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: In a certain way. I had a different title in mind, but we had also talked about it for a long time, the curators and I, that might be too much to say. But that my works are actually always about movement. Movement, agility, progress, development, no stagnating. Then we both found that this was suitable for both my works and, of course, the present. Very fitting.

Future Perspectives and New Materials

Verena Feldbausch: Is there any other material, for example, that you would like to try out?

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Yes. There are industrial materials that I haven’t tried yet, because I’m also interested in the development of materials in research. What is on the tip of my tongue, but is not yet concrete. If possible, something environmentally friendly and maybe it will look in the end like something in complete resolution or release…. in that direction, that would be nice. Like a cloud that disperses. But I haven’t tried it yet, but I already have an idea of new experiments through curiosity.

Verena Feldbausch: Very nice. We are very excited and are waiting to see what else you show us.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Yes, I’m curious about that too, because I never know. And that is perhaps the most exciting part of the whole thing.

Conclusion and Outlook

Verena Feldbausch: Thank you, dear Sigrún, for this inspiring conversation and for the insights into your work.

Sigrún Ólafsdóttir: Thank you very much, dear Verena.

Verena Feldbausch: If you are now curious and would like to see Sigrún Ólafsdóttir’s sculptures here, can find information about current exhibitions and works in public space in the show notes. That was art talk SaarLorLux, the podcast about art and creative people in our region. I am Verena Feldbausch and thank you for listening and I am already looking forward to the next episode of art talk SaarLorLux. See you then. Did you like art talk? Then leave five stars and recommend us to your friends. You can find more information about the podcast in the show notes and in our blog. Be there again when it says we talk about art at art talk, the art podcast from SaarLorLux.

Interview with the Founder Hannelore Seiffert – Part 2

In the second part of our art podcast art talk SaarLorLux about the ‘Kunst Keramik Museum – Stiftung Hannelore Seiffert’ (Hannelore Seiffert Foundation Ceramic Art Museum), founder Hannelore Seiffert tells us exciting stories about her encounters with contemporary ceramic artists and what she has experienced in her 25 years as a collector in the world of ceramic art.

Photo Credits

Cover Foto : © Tom Gundelwein: Paula Bastiaansen, ‘Schneewolke’, Porzellanspirale, 28 x 40 x 20 cm
Verena Feldbausch: 1,3,4,5,7,9, 10,11
Tom Gundelwein: 2
Liane Wilhelmus: 6
JM Schlorke: 8
Pia Treiber: 11

Related links:

#27 art talk – we present the ‘Keramik Kunst Museum – Stiftung Hannelore Seiffert’ (pt.1)

Introduction to the Second Part of the Podcast

In dialogue with the founder Hannelore Seiffert

We are talking about an art form that has long been underestimated, namely ceramic art. Since the 1990s to 2000s, contemporary ceramic art has been increasingly recognised, even if it still struggles with prejudices and is not always treated equally to painting or installation, for example. Our conversation partner is Hannelore Seiffert – she is a collector, supporter and expert on international contemporary ceramic art. In 2023, she donated a significant part of her collection to the ‘Keramik Kunst Museum – Stiftung Hannelore Seiffert’ in Neunkirchen (Saarland). We learn exciting stories of her collecting activities and come to appreciate her generosity in sharing art with others.

Foto Credits:

– JM Schlorke: 1,2,3,4, 6,7,10,11,12,13,14
– Tom Gundelwein: 5,8,
– Liane Wilhemus: 9

Related links:

– Keramikzentrum Höhr-Grenzhausen: https://natur-kultur-keramik.de/keramik/
– Internationale Keramik-Akademie: AIC-ICA: https://www.aic-iac.org/en/
– Keramikkunst in Shenzhen: https://www.ourchinastory.com/en/13195

Read the entire interview with Hannelore Seiffert

Véronique Verdet

Photo Credits:

1,2,3,5,6,9,11,12,16 Lukas Ratius
7,8,10,13,14 Verena Feldbausch
15S venja Sämann
4 Joseph Bonnenberger
Cover Bild: © Véronique Verdet

Artist portrait Véronique Verdet

Véronique Verdet is a French visual artist who lives and works in Saarbrücken. From 2000 to 2004 she studied at the Saar Academy of Fine Arts (HBK Saar) with a focus on sculpture and audiovisual art and completed her studies with distinction. Afterwards, she was a master student of Prof from 2004 to 2006. Christina Kubisch. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Saarländische Künstlerbund.

Artistic practice

Verdet’s works are characterized by an interdisciplinary approach in which she combines various media such as sculpture, drawing, video and installation. A central theme in her work is the examination of the individual in the masses as well as the perception of belonging and isolation. In her installation “Emportée par la foule” (2023), she showed 2500 miniature figures that formed a stream of people and thus visualized social contexts and the dynamics of groups.

Another example is the spatial installation “periphery / borderline-quality” (2016), which dealt with the topic of the border and its perception. She combined drawings and sound elements to address the volatility and complexity of borderline experiences.

Exhibitions and projects

Verdet has presented her work in various exhibitions and projects. In 2023, for example, she was part of the project “Kollektiv Bremm”, which dealt with the border area between Germany and France. As part of this project, she devoted herself to the commemoration of the prisoners of the Gestapo camp and dealt with the history and meaning of this place.

In 2022, she was co-initiator of the “Hyper Süpermarket” in the Saarbrücken European Gallery, a temporary art space in which works by 23 artists were offered. This unusual art market enabled visitors to purchase works of art directly, thus promoting dialogue between artists and the audience.

From May to July 2025, Véronique Verdet will show her art in the individual exhibition “Fouloscopie” at Museum St. Wendel. Here, too, the topics of crowds, isolation, quantity and individual, movements, encounters and divisions are spreading.

Conclusion

Véronique Verdet is a versatile artist who uses her work to pick up on social themes and reflects them on in different media and formats. Through her interdisciplinary practice and her commitment in various projects, she actively contributes to the art scene in Saarland and beyond.

-END-

Cone The Weird

Cone The Weird is one of the most prominent figures in the contemporary urban art scene in Germany. Born in Munich in 1979, Cone The Weird, a.k.a. Colin Kaesekamp, developed an early interest in graffiti, comics and the visual arts. This interface between street and studio gave rise to his very own, unmistakable style: surreal, ironic, technically precise – and always with a touch of the unfathomable. In his first solo exhibition since 2017, entitled SAMPLES, Cone The Weird is showing works on paper, canvas and a mural. The exhibition can be seen until 29 June at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Saarlouis.

Photo Credits:

1, 2, 7 by Leonie Stark @leoniesinas for @institut_aktuelle_kunst
3.,6,8,9,10,11 Cone The Weird @conetheweird
4, 12 VF @arttrailervf

Artist portrait: Cone The Weird – The surreal world of Colin Kaesekamp

Name: Colin Kaesekamp
Artist name: Cone The Weird
Year of birth: 1979
Place of birth: Munich
Place of residence: Saarbrücken
Collective: The Weird

An artist between worlds

Colin Kaesekamp, better known under his pseudonym Cone The Weird, is one of the outstanding figures of the contemporary urban art scene in Germany. Born in Munich in 1979, Cone developed an interest in graffiti, comics and the visual arts at an early age. This interface between street and studio gave rise to his very own, unmistakable style: surreal, ironic, technically precise – and always with a touch of the abysmal.

Style and themes

Cone The Weird is a storyteller. His works – whether murals, illustrations or canvases – often depict bizarre, caricature-like figures in absurd yet profound scenarios. His style is characterized by a strong graphic line, vivid colour contrasts and a surreal visual language reminiscent of comics, dystopias and dreamscapes.

Thematically, Cone oscillates between social criticism, black humor and introspective symbolism. His works raise questions about identity, masking, urbanity and alienation – often packaged in grotesque figures with animal or mechanical attributes.

The Weird – a collective with cult status

Cone is a founding member of the renowned artist collective The Weird, which consists of a group of illustrative urban artists from Germany and Austria. Its members include artists such as Low Bros, DXTR, Nychos and Look. Together, they combine a detailed aesthetic with street art roots and a penchant for the bizarre.

Cone plays a special role within the collective: his clear contours and narrative imagery stand out without detaching themselves from the collective style structure. This often results in large-format wall works in which each artist brings their individual signature to a collective whole.

Exhibitions and works

Cone The Weird has exhibited internationally and his murals adorn walls in numerous European cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna and Barcelona. In addition to his work in public spaces, Cone is also present in galleries – be it with mixed media works, drawings or limited edition art prints.

He also works as an illustrator and graphic designer. His commissioned work includes album covers, festival posters and book illustrations – always with his distinctive, surreal signature.

Conclusion

Colin Kaesekamp, alias Cone The Weird, exemplifies a generation of urban artists who have taken graffiti and street art out of the subculture and into the canon of contemporary art. With a fine line, sharp-witted humor and a keen sense of composition, he creates worlds in which the absurd is everyday life – and everyday life is absurd. His art is an invitation to marvel, pause and question – in the midst of urban frenzy.

Further links

Website of Cone The Weird: https://www.conetheweird.de/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conetheweird/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theweirdcone/

Read the entire interview with Cone the Weird

Verena Feldbausch: We talk about art at art talk, the art podcast from SaarLorLux. We meet curators and artists where they are currently exhibiting. Discover contemporary art and extraordinary art spaces in our region with us. Be part of gallery talks, exhibition openings and finissages.

You can listen to art talk wherever there are podcasts.

Hello and welcome to a new episode of art talk. We are in Saarlouis today, at the Institute for Contemporary Art and we are looking forward to the exhibition by Cone The Weird. The exhibition is entitled Samples. We’ll find out exactly what it means in a moment. I hope you enjoy listening to it. Your Verena Feldbausch.

I am very pleased to welcome Colin Kaesekamp. Hello Colin.

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Hello.

The Artist Name “Cone The Weird”

Verena Feldbausch: Your stage name is “Cone the Weird”. How did this come about?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: “Cone” is actually my sprayer name, which I’ve been using since I started spraying at 13 in ’93. As you change, you might think about a name change, but that didn’t happen. “The Weird” is the name of an artist collective of which I am one of ten members.

I fused it together as an artist’s name because Cone is relatively generic. Searching for “Cone and Graffiti” brings up other Cones, or even ice cream or joints in image searches. “Cone the Weird” is clear and specific.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, very nice.

The Title “Samples”

Verena Feldbausch: Your exhibition is called “Samples”. This means “specimens, examples”. How would you translate it?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: As a music lover, I refer to “samples” from music, especially hip-hop culture, where pieces from existing tracks are taken, altered, or reused to create something new. I apply this principle in my work.

Andreas Bayer from the institute came up with the name. It’s plausible, short, crisp, and to the point.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Nice. This is your first solo exhibition since 2017 at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Saarlouis.

The Works of the Exhibition

Verena Feldbausch: We see drawings on paper, canvas, and a mural. What’s the focus? Shall we start with the mural?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: The mural is a collection of recurring elements in my work. Coming from graffiti culture, I also work in design and illustration. It features elements from various pictures in this room, spanning different years.

The exhibition came at the Institute’s request to include my work in their archive, which is an honor. For artists with my background, being represented in such institutions is unusual.

The mural, placed at the entrance, is an eye-catcher. I used a selection of samples in a drawing technique with reduced colors, just one color on the wall instead of paper or canvas.

 

Verena Feldbausch: A hint: you can find photos of all the works we discuss in my blog, art talk SaarLorLux.

The Visual Universe

Verena Feldbausch: Let’s move to your early works. Your visual universe features figures. I’m thinking of your 2017 mural in Saarbrücken’s Urban Art Parcours, with lines, hatchings, and details, typically in black on dark gray with some silver stripes.

 

Colin Kaesekamp: White stripes, actually.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Similar to these two canvases here. Are they from that time?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Yes, one was made a year later.

Fascination with the Figurative

Verena Feldbausch: What fascinates you about the figurative?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: My interest in the figurative predates graffiti. As a child, I loved illustrated books and comics, especially since I couldn’t read yet. My father’s books on ancient civilizations, clothing, and architecture fascinated me.

I also remember post-war illustrated cards from butter packs, some with biblical motifs, others disturbing, like witch burnings. These left an impression. When I started graffiti, I was drawn to both lettering and figures.

I wasn’t a classic graffiti bomber focused on quantity. I wanted complex motifs that appealed to all—children, pensioners, regardless of graffiti knowledge. The figurative is universally readable.

In the early 2000s, street art emerged alongside graffiti, emphasizing figurative motifs. Signature characters, like tags, gained power through repetition, making them memorable.

 

Verena Feldbausch: I noticed your use of stamps, like Japanese artists do.

Influences and Inspirations

Colin Kaesekamp: Yes, I received stamps as gifts, including one with my name in Chinese characters from Hong Kong artists. I hesitate to use them, as I’m not from that culture, and it feels like an experiment in signing.

I don’t have a standardized signature. Sometimes I use graffiti tags, block letters, or stamps, like on these canvases.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Did you sign the mural?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: No, sometimes I don’t sign. I hope my work is distinctive enough to be recognized.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Definitely. Your unique visual language, reminiscent of comics and Mad magazine, blends graphic novels and graffiti. Which graphic novels inspire you today?

Comic and Graphic Novel Inspirations

Colin Kaesekamp: I find the graphic novel versus comic distinction silly. Both have terrific and poor examples, like all art. I’m active in graffiti and urban art, but also in broader art contexts.

Mad magazine, which I collected as a kid, left a mark. My father’s underground comics, like Robert Crumb’s, and heavy metal comics influenced me. Comic-like elements in video game culture inspire me too.

Graffiti often uses comic figures, either created or quoted. I admire Brecht Evens from Belgium, and classics like “Ghost World” and “Maus”.

 

Verena Feldbausch: We’ll link these in the show notes for listeners to explore.

 

Colin Kaesekamp: You’re welcome.

Graffiti Roots and Role Models

Verena Feldbausch: You started spraying at 13. That’s early!

 

Colin Kaesekamp: That’s right.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Were you caught often?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Not for spraying, but for other mischief. I painted illegally, but sparingly, as my mother was liable. I was often dissatisfied with my motifs, which dampened the thrill.

I followed role models who produced high-quality legal work. I wasn’t suited for quick, complex illegal work. You prove something to yourself, not others.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Which graffiti artists do you admire?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Growing up in Munich, I saw international artists like Loomit, a first-generation European sprayer who networked early, inviting artists to Munich’s old Riehm Airport, a mural hotspot in the early ‘90s.

Monto, another first-generation European, excelled in style writing and characters. I knew him through record covers and hip-hop jams, where graffiti complemented music and dance.

Brazilian brothers Os Gemeos are among the most successful graffiti artists. Also, One and Cowboy, especially One, earned early academic praise. Munich’s local and international scene was vibrant.

New Works and Future Perspectives

Verena Feldbausch: Let’s discuss the album covers.

 

Colin Kaesekamp: These are special, the only multicolored works here. They mark a shift from my black-and-white, character-focused gray series to fragmented, collage-like motifs.

This cover is the third in a trilogy for an instrumental hip-hop musician. I designed the second part, and he wanted the third to end with a bang, inspired by a voodoo priest’s ritual dance.

I reflected his music’s shift from samples to original compositions, with cosmic and planetary themes. The cover features a priest or medicine man, blending cultural elements like bomber jackets, South American masks, and Asian plants.

The back cover includes cosmic geometry, constellations, and ritual elements like the Peruvian sun gate, creating a backdrop for dreaming and discovering worlds.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Very nice, thank you for the detailed explanation.

Symbolism of Stairs

Verena Feldbausch: Stairs are a recurring theme, reminding me of MC Escher’s labyrinths. The exhibition’s invitation shows a ladder with broken steps. Prints are available for 120 euros. What’s your fascination with stairs?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Stairs are one of my recurring symbols, carrying duality. They’re man-made yet inorganic, ambiguous in leading up or down, like in meditation techniques.

For the exhibition’s key motif, a ladder leans against a book, symbolizing entry to new worlds. Broken rungs represent life’s initial hurdles, offering growth potential despite uncertain outcomes.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Very nice. Sales must be soaring!

 

Colin Kaesekamp: I’m not complaining!

Color in Newer Works

Verena Feldbausch: Since 2020, color has entered your work. How did this happen?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: In the mid-2000s, I focused on black and white, stripping effects while working in film, design, and graffiti. I used black paint on light backgrounds, focusing on character design and composition.

This became my trademark, but after nearly 20 years, especially during the dull Corona years, I felt ready to explore color again, without abandoning my visual world.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Does color mean painting on colored surfaces or using colored ink?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Both. Colored ink, used in comics and storyboarding, was an easy step. It avoids issues with gray pencil lines interfering with black ink during digital processing.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Okay.

Vases “Valentine I and II”

Verena Feldbausch: I noticed the vases “Valentine I and II” at the exhibition opening. How did they come about?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Created a year apart for Paris exhibitions, both finished on February 14, they’re variations on classic still lifes with vases, plants, and fruit, exploring love and sexuality subtly.

The compositions use central perspective, with vases spilling plant-like objects, surrounded by fragments like eyes or halved bananas. This sampling principle creates variations, like a series.

Found Objects and Surrealism

Verena Feldbausch: Let’s talk about these newer works. What’s their foundation?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: These are found objects—delivery bills from freight trains, a nod to graffiti and train painting days.

 

Verena Feldbausch: I see a melted pistol and recurring elements, right?

 

Colin Kaesekamp: Yes, symbols like faceless alarm clocks and spaghetti-like arrows. Recent works feature sharp edges against organic forms, resembling comic panels, with delivery bills as a base.

Like Asian calligraphy papers, these works have a red signature stamp on the front and handwritten signatures on the back.

Diverse forms of artistic expression, such as graffiti and urban art, should be more widely recognized, just like jazz in music. Thank you for the interview and the invitation.

 

 

Verena Feldbausch: My pleasure. Find photos in my blog and details in the show notes. I hope you enjoyed this episode. See you next time, Verena Feldbausch.

 

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On the exhibition by Armin Rohr

The Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen sets the stage for Armin Rohr (*1961). He is showing new, enigmatic visual worlds in a comprehensive solo exhibition with the title ‘Despite all futility, I continue to sing my song. On anomalies, coincidences and probabilities.’ from 14 March to 18 May 2025.

The focus is on the human figure, which he places in an ambiguous or difficult to interpret relationship to its surroundings. Captured in drawings and often varied in sketches, figures appear as if posing for mobile phone photos in bizarre or banal everyday, holiday and family scenes. In his new portrait series, he also counteracts the selfie culture and the ubiquitous digital transformation of the image. The artist works with a repertoire of motifs from TV crime films in the ‘Wald-Orte’ group of works: Barrier tapes mark individual areas of the forest like crime scenes, faceless figures in protective suits scour the terrain in search of the unknown. Isolated ‘clues’ in colourful landscape sceneries point to mysterious connections, but the background remains in the dark.

The narrative potential of Armin Rohr’s works seems inexhaustible, but they are far removed from the illustrative. For the stories told there ultimately elude the viewer.

Source: Nicole Nix-Hauck, exhibition catalogue Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen

You can find more information, the podcast, a portrait of the artist Armin Rohr and the entire interview below.

Photo Credits:

2 to 29: Armin Rohr
1 and 30: Verena Feldbausch

Artist portrait Armin Rohr

Armin Rohr, born in 1961 in Hemsbach near Weinheim, has lived and worked in Saarland since childhood. He began his artistic training by studying design at the Saarland University of Applied Sciences, which he completed in 1988 with a diploma in design. He then studied free painting at the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (HBKsaar) from 1994 to 1998, where he was a master student of Professor Bodo Baumgarten.

Rohr has been a lecturer in drawing at the HBKsaar since 2003. His studio is located in the cultural centre at the EuroBahnhof in Saarbrücken. In the course of his career, he has received several awards, including the scholarship of the state capital Saarbrücken (1996), the Saar-Lor-Lux Art Prize of the city of Ottweiler (1997) and a working scholarship at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2002). Institute for Contemporary Art
Armin Rohr is a contemporary artist who works in various artistic fields, particularly painting and sculpture. Born in Germany, he has made a name for himself through his extraordinary works, which often show a mixture of abstraction and figurative representation. Rohr is known for his unique ability to experiment with colour and form, exploring deeper emotional and philosophical themes.

Artistic background and style

Rohr studied art and design at renowned institutions, specialising in abstract and expressionist art forms. In his work, he often deals with social, personal and political themes, and is not afraid to tackle difficult or controversial subjects. His works are characterised by powerful colours, dynamic compositions and a strong emotional impact.

An important aspect of Rohr’s art is his ability to work with different materials and techniques, which makes him a versatile artist. In addition to paintings and sculptures, he has also created installations and interactive art projects that invite the viewer to immerse themselves in the work and build a personal connection to it.

Influences and inspirations

Rohr is often influenced by various trends in modern art, including Expressionism, particularly the German Expressionists, as well as German Art Informel, which have strongly influenced him. 

He takes his inspiration from classical artists such as Edvard Munch, Paul Gauguin and Franz Marc, who belong to the classical modernist movement, but also from masters of the Baroque period such as Vermeer and Velázquez. He is also inspired by the experimental approach of contemporary artists.

His works often reflect the tensions and contradictions of today’s society and show a deep exploration of themes such as identity, freedom and the human condition.

Exhibitions and recognition

Armin Rohr has exhibited in various galleries and museums both in Germany and internationally. His works have repeatedly attracted a great deal of attention, both from art critics and art collectors. In addition to his artistic activities, he is also involved in promoting the art scene and supporting young, up-and-coming artists.

Rohr’s works have been presented in numerous exhibitions, both in public spaces and in galleries and museums. A current example is his solo exhibition ‘Aller Vergeblichkeit zum Trotz singe ich weiter mein Lied. On Anomalies, Coincidences & Probabilities’, which will take place from 14 March to 18 May 2025 at the Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen in the KULT.Kulturzentrum.

Conclusion

Armin Rohr is an artist whose works are characterised by their emotional depth and experimental approach to technique and material. By combining abstraction and figurative representation, he challenges the viewer and opens up new perspectives on the world. His works are a fascinating interplay of form, colour and meaning that constantly invites new interpretations.

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Read the full interview with Armin Rohr

We talk about art at art talk, the art podcast from SaarLorLux. We meet curators and artists where they are exhibiting. With us, you will discover contemporary art and extraordinary art spaces in our region. Become part of gallery talks, exhibition openings, and finissages. You can listen to art talk everywhere there are podcasts.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Hello and welcome to a new episode of art talk, our art podcast for SaarLorLux. Today we are in the Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen at Armin Rohr’s exhibition titled “In spite of all hopelessness, I continue to sing my song. About anomalies, coincidences and probabilities”. You can see large-format paintings as well as drawings and watercolours created since 2019. Photos of the discussed works are, as always, on my blog. You can listen to our podcast on your preferred podcatcher or here on-site via a QR code linking to this conversation with Armin Rohr. This episode was funded by the Saarland Ministry of Education and Culture—thank you very much for that. I’m excited for an exclusive tour with Armin Rohr himself and wish you a great listening experience. Your Verena Feldbausch.

 

Hello Armin, welcome to art talk. First, let’s briefly introduce you and discuss your CV. You were born in Hemsbach near Mannheim. You studied design from 1983 to 1988, completing your basic apprenticeship with Professor Oskar Holweck, followed by studies with Professors Diethard Adt, Heinrich Popp, and Robert Sessler. From 1994 to 1998, you studied painting with Professor Bodo Baumgarten, who later appointed you a master student in 1998. You live and work in Saarbrücken. What did you do between 1988 and 1994, and what drove you in the early 90s to pursue an artist’s path?

 

Armin Rohr: During my graphic design degree at the University of Applied Sciences, I realized it wasn’t my path. I worked as a graphic designer during my studies, had clients with a friend, and was quick at it, but I soon knew I didn’t want to do it forever. I saw more expressive possibilities in drawing and painting. As a graphic designer, I was a service provider—clients came with specific needs, and I had to adapt, often doing things I wouldn’t choose myself. It was creative, but I felt drawn to free art, painting, and drawing, which I did a lot back then.

I moved to Stuttgart, wanting to study art at the Academy there or in Karlsruhe. I applied to various academies after my degree but was rejected multiple times—they wanted younger, moldable students, saying I already had a diploma and decent drawings. So, I worked freelance in Stuttgart to earn money while trying to connect with artists and exhibit in smaller contexts, like the Kunstverein Ludwigsburg, where I joined member exhibitions. Eventually, I returned to Saarbrücken in 1994 to study art again, and it worked out.

 

 

Exhibition Title and Creative Drive

 

Verena Feldbausch: The Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen showcases a comprehensive exhibition of your works since 2019—paintings, drawings, and watercolours. Before we dive into specific pieces, I’d like to explore the exhibition title: “In spite of all hopelessness, I continue to sing my song”. What does it mean to you?

 

Armin Rohr: In recent years, I’ve done smaller exhibitions, also beyond Saarland. Over time, my titles began reflecting my feelings as a painter, tied to the current social or political climate—sometimes more biographical. Early on, during my studies, titles were simple, like “painting and drawing”, but that’s not how I work anymore. I occasionally write texts or notes on my website about my thoughts on painting, drawing, or the wider world, and that’s where this evolved. I pondered this Neunkirchen title for a long time.

 

Today’s world—environmental issues, political tensions, the war in Ukraine—affects me as a person and artist, though I don’t directly paint about it. I’m not a political artist in that sense, but it shapes me. “Despite all hopelessness” emerged from about 50 word variations, reflecting the question: why keep doing this? Why paint? Why go to the studio daily and start anew? Something drives me—it’s almost an obsession. The subtitle— anomalies, coincidences, probabilities—ties into how we humans try to structure life, yet disruptions are constant.

 

We experience this daily: no matter our routine or job, something breaks the flow—a call, an interruption. You can’t focus fully on what you want. That’s the anomaly we face. Five years ago, peace was normal; now, war is routine. Coincidences, though, I embrace as an artist. In watercolours, much is uncontrollable, and I love that chance. In painting, an idea shifts mid-process—maybe from something I read that day—adding elements I didn’t plan minutes before. That’s chance and probability at play. The title’s long, not short at all.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Thank you, that’s very enlightening. I read a quote of yours in the exhibition catalogue about chance: “Coincidence plays a big role, it has conjured up the most beautiful and amazing images for me with a light hand. I owe it a lot.” I found that beautiful.

 

 

Armin Rohr on the Role of Chance

 

Armin Rohr: Some colleagues try to eliminate chance, working very methodically, but that’s never suited me. I prefer a meandering path, like my exhibition title two or three years ago in Burbach: “I meander through the world”. It reflects how I perceive and navigate the world, and how I work—taking winding routes, exploring diverse approaches.

 

Verena Feldbausch: You show large-format paintings, typically 1.50 by 2 meters in acrylic and oil on canvas, alongside smaller drawings and watercolours. Entering the exhibition, we face these big works, featuring figures and objects—forest places, as you call them. Most are “untitled”. Let’s start with the first large piece visitors see: “untitled (the last picture)”, painted in 2025. Why “untitled” for everything?

 

Titles and Visual Metaphors

 

Armin Rohr: This came about a long, long time ago when I worked non-figuratively. I painted and drew series without thinking about themes or captions. I realized titles didn’t add much—everyone sees what they want in non-figurative works. But sometimes, a color or structure sparked a title, or a newspaper or book gave me an association with figurative pieces. I started using brackets, feeling a title isn’t vital in 100 years—it’s helpful or a contrast, not essential. This continued into figurative works. In some exhibitions, I’ve retitled past pieces based on new themes; brackets mean it’s not fixed, it shifts with context.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Okay, I get it. Let’s look at “untitled (the last picture)”. It’s almost idyllic—a painter sits back with palette and tubes—but the forest burns menacingly behind. Is that you? How do you feel after this intense creative phase—exhausted?

 

Armin Rohr: The picture isn’t about the year-long push to finish this exhibition’s big works. These new large pieces are visual metaphors for me. The series—crime scenes, objects, forests—works on a meta level, not literal. I painted a blood-red sky early on, evoking fire and forest blazes. Started a year ago, it grew into this piece, using fire and forest as metaphors—an inner state, a symbol of what moves me now, not just a burning forest. It’s an introduction.

 

And in this picture, like all big ones, I didn’t know what objects or figures would appear. I began with a forest-and-fire idea in the underpainting. Then, a seated figure emerged—not clearly me, but it could be. The canvas came naturally in the process. Suddenly, it had a coherent narrative, maybe tied to the exhibition’s prep. I leave it open—people at the opening asked who it is, if he’s dead or exhausted. I won’t tell; many see their own stories in it.

 

I loved hearing visitors’ ideas at the opening—thoughts I hadn’t had. It’s the picture I least want to explain. Even for me, it’s unclear.

 

Verena Feldbausch: It’s certainly not clear. I’d see the forest fire as a natural disaster too.

Armin Rohr: Yes, it’s about exhaustion too. Someone sits by a blank canvas, fire in the back—naturally, you’d flee, but he doesn’t. The background colors offer many ways in.

 

Verena Feldbausch: So everyone makes their own story.

 

Armin Rohr: Exactly. At exhibitions, I don’t ask what the artist meant but what’s happening in the picture. I look at objects, composition, colors, structures. As a viewer, finding your own take is more thrilling.

 

Verena Feldbausch: True, and appealing. These large works, made between ’24 and ’25, blend figures and objects—camping chairs, broken cars, teddy bears, sneakers, red-white tapes on the floor. I read in the catalogue the templates are from photos and film stills. Which films? What do the objects mean—or is it up to us again?

Inspiration Sources 

Armin Rohr: First of all, the origin of the photos—where does that come from? I’ve thought about these images for years. Watching crime shows on TV or streaming, I’d pause and snap shots, thinking they’d be useful someday. I didn’t know what exactly—just a future spark without an entry. When the 2025 exhibition was set a year ago, I saw a chance to use them. The first picture showed I wasn’t copying but using scenes—white-suited figures, crime clichés. Many stories start with people searching a crime scene; that was my start. I composed most, like “the last picture”, from my head—no real forests or landscapes on photos.

 

I used templates for trees and structures. A vertical piece back there has 9-10 people painted from memory—fast, once perspective fits. Nude drawing gave me a form bank; suited figures are easy. Objects came later, intuitively, as pictures grew.

 

Verena Feldbausch: So no sketches first—just placing trees as you go?

 

Armin Rohr: One had a sketch, a memory jog—ideas fade fast. For 2025’s piece with people and boxes, I noted it, but usually, I start sketch-free. Acrylic base, a few trees, horizon tweaks, adjusting until it’s right, then oil finishes it. Some use photos, not exactly, but as threads in my varied methods—always have.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Acrylic’s the technical base for oil?

 

Armin Rohr: Yes, once it was egg tempera in studies, but drying lagged. Acrylic’s quick—ten canvases a day, testing skies or figures. It fits my spontaneity, a classic underpainting for oil’s slower pace.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Where’d you paint these—at KuBa studio?

 

Armin Rohr: Yes, small but sufficient—they just need to fit the door. I juggle multiple, rearranging as needed.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Now the second group: portraits. On the right as you enter, they’re classic but unidentifiable, except your selfie. Why not recognizable, with “untitled” and bracketed hints? What’s the idea?

 

Armin Rohr: Good question. I’ve always done portraits—self-portraits in studies, mirrored, like some here, though sized differently. They dissolved figures, leading to non-figurative work. I kept going, sketching live or from photos, not to copy but to start painting. No one’s identifiable; it’s just a trigger. Before this show, I painted my mother, demented three years, first realistically. Her rapid fade—personality dissolving—echoed my college theme, so I overpainted her features until nothing human remained, matching my feelings.

 

That sparked others. Early layers showed figures—like my daughter, whom my wife loved unfinished—but I couldn’t stop; it wasn’t my aim. Snapshots, not portraits, lack speech, motion—too thin for personality. Painting shifts them to universal, dodging “who’s that”. I lean to the dark—Jekyll and Hyde in us all—more gripping in art, films, books.

 

Verena Feldbausch: And yet you really use bright and actually cheerful colours.

 

Armin Rohr on Color and Contrast

 

Verena Feldbausch: So I don’t find them dark now. I think there are powerful, explosive colors in your pictures. Has that intensified lately? I recall watercolours or paper works being less vivid, but these large pieces and portraits feel very colorful.

 

Armin Rohr: I don’t think it’s intensified. I’ve had reduced phases—like 15 years ago, painting near-white faces with just a discreet red or blue. But color’s always drawn me, even at the academy. For this exhibition’s themes, it’s a complementary contrast. There’s gloom in the content—people sense it, mention it—but the colors, especially in landscapes, start idyllic, pulling viewers in. Many strong hues create a different space. If they were black-and-white or muted, I’d miss a dimension, a twist that shifts the images.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Definitely. Now, watercolours and drawings—smaller, on paper, with pencil, ink, chalk, felt-tip. Often groups or individuals, like holiday snapshots. Are they? Let’s look—this one has two people, the right in a striped shirt.

 

Armin Rohr: Mostly from holiday snapshots—friends, family, or my own. Sometimes I copy them compositionally, unchanged, but others I tweak, dropping or adding elements. During Corona, I drew from Pompeo Batoni, a baroque painter of Rome’s tourists—portraits with symbols, dogs, sculptures, showing “I was there”. Today’s landscape poses online echo that—nothing new. I stage these banal tales, ironizing them in drawings, pushing extremes. Landscapes get unease via odd colors—pink skies, poison green—hopefully a thread through all three work groups, my world-discomfort questioned in picture stories.

 

Some photos are old—my parents’ honeymoon, 60 years back. In drawings, paintings, they’re indistinguishable from last year’s. It’s an ancient theme—we all do it.

 

Verena Feldbausch: True, spanning decades. You said in the catalogue, “a pencil drawing is always a very good concept”. What’s that mean?

 

Drawing as Core

 

I started as a draftsman, pre-graphic design studies. I’ve always drawn—since then, I carry a sketchpad and pencil everywhere. It’s my rawest expression. No electricity, no Wi-Fi needed—I sit anywhere, vacation, pub, wherever a thought strikes, and start. No paint required—it’s simple, never dull, never outdated. Many colleagues, thankfully, still do it. It’s been with me over half my life; I can’t imagine stopping.

 

Verena Feldbausch: So you’ve got a wild notebook collection. There’s a monitor too, right? Entering, it’s on the right, showing excerpts from the last four years’ sketchpads, yes?

 

Armin Rohr: Not sure the exact span—I grabbed sketchbooks, some with decade-old sketches. I compiled them for this show—portraits, figurative tales, landscape notes from Saarbrücken walks, catching sun and shadow. Many personal stories, trimmed a bit for the exhibition.

 

Verena Feldbausch: And I mean, you also run a blog.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Is it daily, so you post something every day for friends or followers to see what you’ve done? Or is it more for you?

 

Armin Rohr: It started because my website was a hassle to update. In 2007, I found blogs—quick to set up with templates. I figured I’d let the site fade, adding to the blog instead. I began with self-portraits, not expecting it to last. I thought I’d switch if a simpler site idea came up. But it turned into a diary. When I’m not painting big works, I update almost daily—drawings, notes, banal stuff. Often, it’s sketches from student courses outdoors—explanatory or my own doodles, silly or unserious, but tied to me.

 

Drawings get personal; I don’t shy from showing that. Nearly 20 years now, it’s part of me. Last year, big paintings cut drawing time—entries slowed. But it’ll shift again. I can’t imagine stopping. Other artists do it too—not many, but some.

 

Verena Feldbausch: I picture all those sketchpads in your studio—sorted by year or month? How do you find anything? Do you revisit them as thought aids? How do you manage?

 

Armin Rohr: Not at all—I’m a mess, totally. For the monitor here, I’d photographed drawings for the blog over years. Digging through shelves, I found unshot sketches, but time ran short. I’m sloppy—might snap more later. The blog matters more, tracking years, than sketchpads or storage. I do flip through them. A 20-year-old one pulls me right back—more than photos. Drawing a landscape, taking time, embeds it differently; I relive the mood instantly.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Interesting, yes. And now I have a question about the series.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, so now I quote you again from the catalogue: “Dark clouds sweeten my day. I thank you, you God of the series.” Serial art uses repetition and variation. You always paint in series—we saw it with portraits. When’s a topic done for you?

 

Armin Rohr: It’s a feeling. I work a theme until I hit the studio fearing repetition or blank on ideas. Then I switch. That explains breaks many don’t get—why figurative, then suddenly abstract? Often, it’s boredom. I can’t just redo myself. Years later, I might revisit, refreshed. Serial work’s proven vital for me.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Forest places aren’t done yet, right? Some paintings exist, but there’s more potential, I’d guess?

 

Armin Rohr: There’s been a break—four weeks barely in the studio. I’m eager now. Forest places are mostly canvases, wood, some small. Few drawings, not shown here—they didn’t fit. I could push them on paper—freer as a draftsman, quick to try or toss. I might shift from forests to urban spaces. Objects like cars or caravans, unthinkable months ago, now intrigue me pictorially—not just as sketches, but full works. There’s lots left; it’ll grow.

 

Verena Feldbausch: Nice, great. Thank you very much.

 

-END-

An interview with Anne-Marie Stöhr

I talk to the painter and performer Anne-Marie Stöhr about her current exhibition at the Saarländisches Künstlerhaus entitled ‘… went out on a limb’, which can be seen until the beginning of March. The title of the exhibition refers to emotional or fateful risks that an individual can take. 

Anne-Marie Stöhr, with a cultural background in France, Sweden and Germany, studied in Gothenburg and at the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste (HBK) Saar. After 17 years in California, she has lived in Saarbrücken again since 2019.

Photo Credits:

1. Ich und Du, 2023*
   
2. Built, 2024  © Verena Feldbausch
3. Nomad One, 2024  © Unbenannter Autor*
4. Déchirures (My Fortune on a string), 2024
5. Pieces of Paper, 2024*
6. Papierarbeiten (Galerieansicht 1) © Anne-Marie Stöhr
7. Les aléas de la source, 2024*
8. Ich und Du, 2023*
9. Argent argenté (The skin you are in), 2024*
10. Oiseau Rebelle, 2024*
11. TV Jacket, 2023*
12. Galerieansicht 2 © Jonas Purdue
13. Anne-Marie Stöhr vor Nomad One © Verena Feldbausch
14. Katalog zur Ausstellung „…went out on a limb“

*1,4,5,7,8,9,10,11 © Tom Gundelwein

Read the full interview with Anne-Marie Stöhr

Verena Feldbausch: Welcome to a new episode of art talk. Today I’m talking to the artist Anne-Marie Stöhr, who is currently showing the exhibition “…went out on a limb” at the Saarländisches Künstlerhaus. What exactly is an artists’ house? It is not a museum, but a place where all the artists of a region come together under one roof. Not only the visual artists, but also the musicians, the writers, the actors, the filmmakers, the students, because here they have a place where they can come together for work and creative debate.

Thanks to the Saarland’s location in the heart of SaarLorLux, the Saarländische Künstlerhaus looks beyond its borders and increasingly focuses on contemporary art from this cultural region. An ideal location for our art podcast “art talk SaarLorLux”. As always, you can find images of the works by Anne-Marie Stöhr that we discussed in my blog and you can also find the different language versions in the blog and on YouTube, i.e. our interview with German, French and English subtitles. Have fun listening, yours Verena Feldbausch.

Verena Feldbausch: Dear Anne-Marie Stöhr, welcome to our art podcast “art talk”. The occasion is your current exhibition at the Saarländische Künstlerhaus entitled “…went out on a limb”, which can be seen until the beginning of March. I would like to introduce you briefly. You are a painter and performer. You were born in Saarbrücken in 1969 and you live and work in Saarbrücken. However, this data does not reveal that you are multilingual. You were born to a German-Swedish couple and lived in the USA for a long time. Why do you speak French so well in addition to German, Swedish and English?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, because I grew up on the other side of the border and went to school there, in Spichern (France). And my parents were Francophiles, they met in the south of France. My father was working in France. My mother loved the language. They have also read a lot in French. And yes, that’s why.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, that’s very interesting. You paint non-representationally and you regard painting as your fifth language. What do you want to express with your art or what do you want to say with it?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Well, what I feel is that I can say a lot with colors and swathes of color. So that the colors sound in themselves. And that is perhaps something that is more musical than language-oriented. I separate that: the literary titles that the works often bear, lyrical or literary or funny, but which also often work with language, are actually in contrast to the pictures. So, these are not explanations of the pictures, but perhaps titles, that occur to me while I’m working and which, as a counterpart to this, provide another concrete literary world, which has nothing to do with the content.

Verena Feldbausch: Exactly, we’ll come back to the titles in a moment. Regarding your training, you studied painting in Gothenburg in your early 20s.

Anne-Marie Stöhr: At 20.

Verena Feldbausch: At 20. At the age of 23, you came to the Saar University of Fine Arts, where you studied fine arts with a focus on painting with Bodo Baumgarten and new media with Ulrike Rosenbach. What did you do after your studies and why did you move to California in 2002?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, so after my studies I had a work scholarship from the Franco-German Jugendwerk and spent six months working in Grenoble. And then I returned to Germany and didn’t know exactly where to go at first. I think I originally wanted to go to Sweden, but then I met my husband and then we moved together, he was an American, we moved together to San Francisco in his home town.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, that was the reason. Okay.

Anne-Marie Stöhr: That was the reason.

Verena Feldbausch: And then you lived in the USA for 17 years. You returned to Saarbrücken in 2019. How did this time in the USA shape you artistically?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Very strong and also about the colors. It wasn’t easy at first, so it was a change. My language skills were okay, I could already speak English quite well, but still the culture is very different and you are very far away from home. And what I found there was simply a love of nature. The nature is wonderful and very, very beautiful. I also went for a lot of walks with my son at the time and I really enjoyed it. Feeling at home in nature. And the lighting conditions there are very special due to the Pacific Ocean, that I particularly love. And because of the climate, it also flowers two or three times a year. And all these plants that we have here as house plants or as garden plants, grow wild there. So kala lilies bloom everywhere in spring and bougainvilleas are huge. And there are simply so many colors. And then there’s the blue sky, then the “Painted Ladies”, the houses of San Francisco. All of this had a huge impact on me, shaped me in terms of color and then flowed quite directly into my images.

Verena Feldbausch: So if you compare your work that you were doing in Germany, i.e. before your stay in California, with those afterwards, do you see a real color variance?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, absolutely. My color palette has changed a lot. It has to be said that I had worked with sulphur for years, also during my studies, and then began to work with ink on paper. And there it was very much carried by black ink with color nuances. Then I also made installations where I painted strips of color and my drawings hung in it. And when my son was very small, I drew a lot because it was just easier. So in the times when I didn’t have to look after him when he was a baby, there I was able to produce small-format drawings very quickly and I didn’t even paint. So it was always less color, it was very reduced and then on large-format paper webs I still had a lot of white space, even when I started using more and more colored ink. And yes, that then slowly changed to the colored inks that I still use today. I was still using them, but they gradually became stronger and stronger.

Verena Feldbausch: Back in Saarbrücken in 2019, what was it like for you to live and work in Germany again? And how did you regain your artistic footing here?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Well, I had it already planned a bit in advance in the USA and thought, that I will probably go back to Europe, either to Sweden or to Germany and then I think I started exhibiting once in Sweden in 2015, then in Germany, then Sweden again, then Germany again, in order to smooth the way, to make it easier for me to return, but also to reconnect with artist friends. The thread was never broken with some of them, so it was a soft landing. And the fact that I studied here and that many of my fellow students are still here, the connection was relatively simple. That helped a lot and it was very, very nice to find each other again.

I found that the working conditions here in Germany, in Europe of course, are very good, much better than in the USA and that was great. That was easy, you have to say, that’s great, because in the USA there is simply no funding opportunities for the artists in midfield, no houses like the Künstlerhaus now and so on, which are subsidized and not a studio house like the Kuba (Kulturbahnhof). And that is very important. And that the artists are supported so that they can also do their work and are also perceived. And that did me a lot of good. Which, well, otherwise it’s of course very different when you move from one country to the next. And 17 years is almost a lifetime. I’m very influenced by California and have also become different. And I’m missing a lot there too.

Verena Feldbausch: Are you there regularly, back in California and visiting friends?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: I wish I could do it more regularly, but that’s a question of cost.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, of course. You’ve also been a member of the Saarland Artists’ Association since 2017.

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes.

Verena Feldbausch: And you were also active here at the Künstlerhaus, I think.

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Exactly, I was on the board for two years. Yes, I liked that very much. I thought that was very nice, also in terms of cultural policy and to get something going together with other artists and with writers.

Verena Feldbausch: In your current exhibition at the Saarländisches Künstlerhaus, you are showing six large-format abstract paintings on canvas. And the title of the exhibition “…went out on a limb” translates as “…took a risk or “…leaned too far out of the window”. What are you referring to and what risks do you take in your painting?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: So the first thing I’m referring to is, of course, my move from the USA to here, Germany, to Europe. Because it’s a huge risk and that was a very difficult decision to make. I didn’t sleep for weeks. I could just as easily have stayed there, and it would have been good if I had stayed there. It turned out well that I came here. So they are such decisions. Fortunately, I left on good terms. That’s also a nice thing. Yes, but that is of course a risk, a huge one. And that’s what I’m referring to. And I take a risk every time I paint, because I don’t do sketches. I don’t have an image beforehand that already exists in concrete terms, which I can then somehow apply to on canvas or paper, but it is created while making. And that is the big surprise. And it’s also important to me that I develop this for myself as an artist. After so many years, I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, over 35, 40 years now and that it remains interesting for me.

Verena Feldbausch: That means you don’t make any preliminary drawings, you don’t plan the composition, do you plan the colors?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, I wouldn’t call it planning, but it’s often the case that I work in series or in periods. Then I have a special palette and then maybe an image results from the previous. And that then develops in a certain period and then the palettes change again or if something else comes along that would like to be there.

Verena Feldbausch: How long do you need – you probably can’t generalize that either – how long did it take to paint this picture, for example?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, but I can’t say that in general because it always depends a lot, whether I am or how much I am in the flow. So you have to say, the large formats, it’s a very physical achievement. I cover and prime them myself and it’s physically demanding. And I’m not the most technically gifted person. I’m always struggling with these parts, knocking and covering them. The and then they are first covered, then I have to prime it, then I always have to wait. That’s always the worst thing. So you can’t start painting straight away. And depending on how often I prime it, I also have to wait.
Then the first phase of painting is the one that lays the foundation and that is the ink phase. Then the picture is flat on the floor and then I work with the brush. And depending on that, it simply depends on which brush I use, which color I take, whatever color tone I want at that moment. And when I have the feeling that this is good for now, then I leave it there and then I have to wait 24 hours because it takes so long to dry. When I come in the next day, it depends on whether I then have the feeling of I want to go in there again with ink. Then I have to wait another 24 hours until the next phase arrives and only then does the phase with acrylic painting start. And then it’s quite normal, so I lean it against the wall and then I paint. And because I always react from color application to color application, that’s what matters. Sometimes it comes really well, yes, then the process is perhaps faster, then the picture might sit faster. Then it always depends on when I go back the next day, Does it really sit or is it boring? Maybe I’ll go back to it. So it can, yes, from two weeks to a month and maybe the picture turns out to be then still not considered finished. You can’t really say for sure.

Verena Feldbausch: Do you sometimes throw pictures away?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, a lot. I throw and destroy a lot.

Verena Feldbausch: And this ink, this gesture that one sees, these broad brushstrokes, they are painted with ink, right?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes.

Verena Feldbausch: Exactly, now I would like to go back to the titles of the pictures. You often choose literary titles for your paintings. How do you find the titles? Do they come from books you are currently reading, or where do the titles come from?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: That is also very different. So here, for example, “I and You” is the title of Martin Buber’s book. “Me and you” and that really moved me. And that’s why I adopted it straight away, because I also like simple language and simple titles sometimes. Yes, this picture is called “Bild”(Image), but B-U-I-L-T is of course a language game. And that, yes, I found funny. I now have these neon bricks that have been appearing in my work since 2018.
It all started when I had an exhibition in the USA where I put a picture on the wall on two neon-colored blocks. And that was simply during the creative phase, when I was working with neon in the picture and then these blocks were also lying around outside my studio. And then I painted them with the neon orange and I really liked it, also because on the one hand, this brick is very assigned, it has something to do with construction and building, then for me it was also a color that became a material, that goes into the room and I liked the combination. And the picture “Built”- I’ve been talking about it for so long because it is also so central to the context with the installation here in front, “Nomad One”, which is also about the nomadic and building, assembling and dismantling.

Verena Feldbausch: You often have pictures and installations of some kind, which are designed in color, in front of it, also partly made of wood, so now with these bricks, exactly, but I’ve also seen it in wood. And now we would like to move on to the expansive work “Nomad One”. This is a painting, painted on both sides, it hangs from the ceiling and is decorated with colorful ropes, and it is weighted like a tent. Can you tell me something about it? What was your approach?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes, I had a residency at Schloss Wiepersdorf in 2023 and that’s how it is, so this is in Brandenburg. I drove there in my little car and then thought about what I could do there in two months and how I can transport it back. I simply used canvas, rolled up canvas and not stretched, but I just painted large-format pictures, as I always do, and then, however the edges are sewn in, sewn in by hand and these rivets are punched in with such a punching machine and nylon cords, colored nylon cords, are also used. And this gave rise to the idea that I could also paint a picture like this on both sides or perhaps stretch across the room and I can experiment with the hanging again. The space, the studio in Wiepersdorf, is very, very large and I was able to really allow me this freedom to think big. And that’s what I did, I did this work here in Saarbrücken, but for the first time. I’ve now seen it neatly hung here in the Künstlerhaus, because my studio isn’t big, was not high enough.

Verena Feldbausch: And Nomad One refers to nomads, i.e. a tent.

Anne-Marie Stöhr: The portability and mobility of this picture and the fact that you can roll it up and take it with you. and perhaps also think about where it can be shown, it could also be outside, that could hang it in the forest, it could hang in the church, that could hang it in the White Cube. That was the idea, but so was the idea of the tent or the sail. In other words, a picture then comes out of the frame again and perhaps creates a space or perhaps also acts as a shelter. Well, because the color, especially in this monumentality, has a different effect. So, again, it has such a power somehow. And I also see it a bit like a shelter, a house or a protective tent. Yes, you can also hang it differently. The same work can also be hung and presented differently.

Verena Feldbausch: Yes, that’s right. And in the first room, should we go there for a moment?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: Yes.

Verena Feldbausch: There are still various objects hanging on the wall. So these are canvases that are actually torn, right?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: This is paper, paper that is torn. So here is is titled “Déchirures (My Fortune on a String)”. “My Fortune on a String”, that came from a song. I was listening to Cat Power while I was painting and that was a line from the song. She sings that, and I just took it with me. And I found it interesting to punch a rivet into the paper like this and then to process it as an object and with this tearing to change it again as an object, as a three-dimensional object.

Verena Feldbausch: Was that something that you had actually already torn up or was it something that you created?

Anne-Marie Stöhr: No, it was a picture that turned into nothing and that I tore up in a rage and then I realized, wow, that looks good. And then out of this furious destruction came another flash of creativity.

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes, very nice. And it’s probably similar here. So what is this work called now?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
“Pieces of Paper”, a very simple title. It was very similar and was then somehow put together.

Verena Feldbausch:
Then let’s move on to the works on paper. Is that also ink now?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
This is ink.

Verena Feldbausch:
Are there any titles?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, most of them are called “Summer Breeze” or a variation of “Summer Breeze 1, 2, 3, 4”. I think this one is called “Pink and Purple”. Then it’s all about the colors. Then there is something with sun or sun breeze, something like that, something floating. I also painted and drew them in Wiepersdorf. The works on paper. Of course, it was summer then and it was very warm. And just this freedom in this summer, in this spacious studio and then to capture it, how the weather and the warmth and nature around you affect you. That’s kind of what you can see here in these brushstrokes.

Verena Feldbausch:
I think that comes across really well.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Just such luck.

Verena Feldbausch:
We are now in the second exhibition room with the six large-format paintings. Shall we just walk around here like this?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Exactly. The picture is called “Les Aléas de la Source” – “The imponderables of the source”. The title was given to me as a gift.

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes, from whom?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
From a friend.

Verena Feldbausch:
He said it could be called that?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Exactly.

Verena Feldbausch:
It’s also a nice idea to ask a friend if they have a title for it. Is that a writer?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, exactly.

Verena Feldbausch:
Okay, of course, it sounds very poetic. And this picture here, it’s almost camouflage-colored. The green is such a camouflage color, but there is also a lot of pink or rose. What is the title?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
“I and You” freely adapted from Martin Buber.

Verena Feldbausch:
Exactly.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
I can’t really say what I’m talking about. These are not intellectual processes, but really it has something to do with color perception, with a sense of space, summer, freedom. I think I’m very influenced by the colors that are around me.

Verena Feldbausch:
Let’s move on to the picture where the gray predominates. What is the title?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
“Agent Argenté” – “The Skin You’re In”. I used silver for this. Therefore this silver agent, so as “agent”, silver agent, as transporter, so color as a vehicle, so to speak.

Verena Feldbausch:
Your titles are often in French and English.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, at the moment.

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes? Have they ever been Swedish and German?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, definitely. I think the earlier works, when I was still fresh from Sweden, were Swedish. So I write a diary in Swedish, for example, but I had now, I got into the habit in the USA, because I lived there, to make most titles in English. That’s changing a bit now, but English is still very present.

Verena Feldbausch:
And then I would say, let’s move on to this picture here.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
It’s called “Oiseau Rebelle”.

Verena Feldbausch:
“Oiseau Rebelle”, okay. The rebellious bird.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, that’s from the aria. “Love is a rebellious bird”, isn’t it?

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes, of course, they do something, these titles, with the abstract works, the non-representational works, let’s put it that way. Somehow you’re looking for a bird.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
No, it’s not a bird. No. This could be the flight of the bird.

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes, you can interpret a lot.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Or the song of the bird.

Verena Feldbausch:
We talked about this image at the beginning. It is called “Built” and is placed on this paving stone in neon. And finally, there is this one, where you can see a lot of blue tones. So this is ink?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
It’s all ink. This is acrylic. This is ink. So you see, it all merges into one another.

Verena Feldbausch:
And what is the title of this picture?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
“TV Jacket”. It’s a bit mysterious, yes.

Verena Feldbausch:
A catalog will also be published to accompany the exhibition. When will it appear?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
It will be published on February 14. There is also an artist talk with Jörg Gronius at half five. So at half past four on Friday, February 14.

Verena Feldbausch:
Exactly, that’s another event that’s now being organized as part of your exhibition.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Yes, exactly.

Verena Feldbausch:
Yes, thank you very much. Or would you like to say something else?

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Well, I hope that lots of people will come and see the exhibition. I think color absolutely has a power and also a dynamic. And I hope that what I’m trying to say comes across, with color and dynamics.

Verena Feldbausch:
Very nice, thank you very much. Great.

Anne-Marie Stöhr:
Thank you.

Verena Feldbausch:
I cordially invite you to visit this colorful exhibition by Anne-Marie Stöhr at the Saarländisches Künstlerhaus. It can be seen here until March 2. And before that, on February 14, an artist talk with Jörg Gronius will take place here. As always, you can find all the information in the show notes. Thank you for your interest and see you next time, yours Verena Feldbausch.

Verena Feldbausch:
Did you like art talk? Then leave 5 stars and recommend us to your friends. You can find more information about the podcast in the show notes and in our blog. Be there again when we talk about art at art talk, the art podcast from SaarLorLux.

Interview with Professor Christiane Solte-Gresser about the exhibition at the World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks

In the second part of our art podcast, I talk to Prof Dr Christiane Solte-Gresser about the contribution of the Käte Hamburger College for Cultural Practices of Reparation at Saarbrücken University to the exhibition at the World Heritage at the Völklinger Hütte. The focus is on the artists Zineb Sedira, Géraldine Tobe and Memory Biwa, who were invited as artists-in-residence and fellows to work on the exhibition on site. You can also find out who Käte Hamburger was and what topics the Kolleg is researching here in Saarbrücken. We invite you to learn more about this fascinating exhibition with the help of our art podcasts – parts 1 and 2 – before or after your visit to Völklingen, so that you can truly appreciate the true greatness of Africa.

Foto Credits:

1 Zineb Sedira: Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go, 2019
2 Zineb Sedira, Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go, 2019
3 Memory Biwa: Ozerandu, 2024
4 Biwa Memory : Ozerandu, 2024
5 Memory Biwa: Ozerandu, 2024
6 Géraldine Tobe: Image cut of Empty Song/Vide Cantique 2022
7 Géraldine Tobe: Empty Song/Vide cantique 2022 Song/Vide Cantique 2022
8 Géraldine Tobe: Studio work in the WKE VH, 2024

Read the full interview with Prof. Dr. Christiane Solte-Gresser:

Interview with Dr. Ralf Beil on the Völklinger Hütte World Cultural Heritage exhibition

In the first part of our art podcast, I talk to Dr Ralf Beil, curator of the exhibition THE TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA and General Director of the World Heritage Völklinger Hütte. Our focus is on contemporary artworks, of which there are 26 positions to discover. ‘Significant works of art from recent decades meet sound and installations realised especially for the show by artists from Africa and the global diaspora. This creates a dense network of impulses and perceptual possibilities that make it possible to experience THE TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA in the past and present in a sustainable and multi-layered way.’ (World Heritage Völklinger Hütte). We invite you to find out more about this fascinating exhibition with the help of our art podcast – before or after your visit to Völklingen – so that you can even better appreciate the true size of Africa afterwards.

Foto Credits:

1, 2, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23 – © Hans-Georg Merkel / Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte

3, 4, 19– © Verena Feldbausch, Art Trailer Feldbausch

7 © – Omar Victor Diop, Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris
8, 9 – © Zanele Muholi, courtesy of Southern Guild
10, 11 – © William Kentridge, Courtesy Kentridge Studio
12 – © ADAGP, Paris, 2023 Courtesy de l’artiste
13 – © courtesy of the artist and Galerie Barbara Thumm
12 – © The Singh Twins: www.singhtwins.co.uk
22 – © Courtesy of the artist and Selebe Yoon, Dakar
24 – © Kara Walker, Courtesy Sprüth Magers and Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
25, 26, 27 – © Smoking Dogs Films; Courtesy Smoking Dogs Films and Lisson Gallery.

Galerie Nosbaum Reding was founded in 2001 by Véronique Nosbaum and Alex Reding. It is located in the historic centre of Luxembourg and has two separate but adjacent exhibition spaces that allow for simultaneous presentations. Since its foundation, the gallery has focused on young artists from Luxembourg and neighbouring countries, who are shown alongside internationally established artists. Nosbaum Reding has always endeavoured to promote emerging artists. The artists usually produce new work for the exhibitions there and are supported in exploring new ideas and concepts. Starting from a strong local and regional base, the gallery continues to expand its reach by regularly participating in Europe’s most important art fairs and frequently collaborates with renowned galleries and museums. Nosbaum Reding Projects (since 2007) is an exhibition programme that showcases young, emerging artists from around the world. The current exhibition ‘Nailing Colours to the Mast’ shows paintings by the Luxembourg artist Tina Gillen and can be seen until November 2024.

Foto Credits:

1-3: Verena Feldbausch
4-12: Galerie Nosbaum Reding