HÄNSEL UND GRETEL (LET ME IN RUH)

05.06.-04.09.2022

The exhibition “HÄNSEL UND GRETEL (Let me in Ruh)” dates the first ever joint exhibition of Conny Maier and Jonathan Meese. This exhibition is the result the collaborative studio time between Conny Maier and Jonathan Meese, whose works show many parallels and similarities; no curatorial influence went into this show. The fascination that the two artists have for the other’s work is an integral part of the exhibition, as both artists created new works, individually, as well as together. Maier and Messe both see ceramic as a logical and tangible material from which they are able to form playful and free-spirited shapes. The materials long tradition in sculpture and artwork provided the two with a platform upon which they were able to find a common language. The focus of the studio visits was not to reach results. It served for common, informal interaction as well as the fun factor that the creative process brought about.

The resulting works demonstrate aspects from legends, fairy tales and stories that continue to play a large role in both artist’s lives. The respective authorship and individual handwriting is unmissable, yet the exhibited animals, creatures and figures seem to become part of a common stage and mythical world altogether.

In addition to the sculptures, the two created ceramic masks, which are shown as wall objects. Here too, Maier and Meese concern themselves with archaic moments in time through figures, scenes, theater and mystical elements. Inviting the viewer to a spectacle in which one is given the greatest possible freedom to ones own interpretation and imagination.

In the side wings of the historic tea house – flanking the sculptures in the main room – are painting from Conny Maier and Jonathan Messe.

Conny Maier’s works are characterized by her quick yet decisive stroke. In Jonathan Meese’s works, powerful gestures are brought to light. Both suggest figures that emanate from the core of their individual artistic language.

In Maier’s work the protagonists – people, animals and plants – usually seem to be caught up in some kind of argument. The ambivalence of our daily behavioral structures, the relationship between nature and humans in a society ruled by borders, civilization and domestication, are all predominant themes in her work.

In his work, Meese creates his own cosmos. A world in which the dictatorship of art rules, and thus sets its own limits in the world. His work ranges from painting, drawing, to installation and performance art; creating a stage for unique language and visual worlds that are ultimately based on grand stories and narratives.