Robert Grunenberg Berlin

25/05/2021

NOW ON VIEW: Good Vibrations, Sonja Yakovleva’s @sonja_yakovleva first solo show at the gallery, runs through 31 July 2021.

The exhibition is open Wednesday - Saturday, 12 - 6 PM. Please bring with you a same-day negative COVID-19 test upon your visit.

«Good Vibrations brings together dense visual narratives of intimate s*xual encounters.
Yakovleva’s images at once arouse feelings of voyeurism and shame – something burned into the collective (female) memory. The unusual thing about Yakovleva’s work is not that women are depicted in a state of nakedness, but how this nudity is conspicuously presented in public. Social conventions have taught us that s*x and nakedness are personal, private matters, things primarily associated with individual needs. In Good Vibrations, however, the idea that s*x also has a societal component is up for discussion. Yakovleva’s pictorial landscapes are a radical attempt to place femininity at the center of the viewer’s attention and, by consciously exaggerating it, create a space in which the knowledge of and regard for female s*xuality can be redefined.»

Text by Sonja Maria Borstner @sxxmxxb

Image: Sonja Yakovleva, Pornokino, 2021, Paper cut, 220 x 500 cm
© Roman März

14/05/2021

🔜 Good Vibrations by Sonja Yakovleva, 21 May until 31 July 2021

We are excited to announce our upcoming exhibition: "Good Vibrations" is Sonja Yakovleva's first solo exhibition at the gallery and, as such, it brings with it the full energy of her artistic practices and her unmistakable technique of paper cuts with striking motives. The show features Sonja's ten brand new paper cuts in a setting that has been specifically conceived for a first-hand experience.

As we are hopefully seeing the light at the end the tunnel and things are slowly coming back to normal, I am beyond happy to greet soon again at the gallery in person for this powerful immersive new show.

See you soon 🎪

09/05/2021

"Keine Zeit zum Baden“

We are saluting Jan Zöller @janzoellerr for his solo exhibition at Städtische Galerie Ostfildern @staedtischegalerieostfildern, Southern Germany. We can’t wait to visit Jan’s show in real life.

The exhibition features different paintings from his Badebrunnen theme, loaned from private and public collections along a few new large-size “Badebrunnen paintings, set up with a site specific installation, consisting of sculptural objects and a video-installation.

The exhibition is running til 21 September 2021. Due to the current situation it is unfortunately not open to the public until further notice.

© Studio Jan Zöller, Jürgen Bubeck

Thank you for everyone who helped realizing the show.

26/04/2021

Vibes: 💥⚠️ Today three years ago we opened the doors of the gallery 🌴 What a stunning journey: we organized 20 exhibitions with more than 75 artists, published books, hosted artist talks, performances and had many beautiful openings and studio visits. Thank you ♥️

As we all face an uncertain near future due to the pandemic, we are not yet sure, when to open the gallery to the public again. You can still visit by appointment and bring a negativ covid-19 test.

Nevertheless we look forward to present three more shows at the gallery this year, circle in your calendar:

Sonja Yakovleva (May- July)
@sonja_yakovleva

Jan Zöller (Sep - Oct)
@janzoellerrr

Brandon Lipchik (Nov - Dec)
@brandonlipchikstudio

Stay tuned 🌈

Images: Bastian Thiery, Mafalda Rakos, Robert Grunenberg

08/03/2021

Last night I spoke to @sonja_yakovleva on the phone about todays #womensday. We decided to donate 100% of the next sales of her framed editions „Pool Party“ and „We Are Family" to "Lilith - Wohnen für Frauen“ a place where women in precarious situations, homeless and with a special need for support will find a shelter that offers protection, tranquility, intensive advice and support. In the transitional house, women come to rest and develop new life prospects. You will receive support in coping with experiences of violence, social and psychological problems. The last time I travelled to Frankfurt I visited Sonja at the Lilith, where she was doing a night shift. I stayed outside and we talked for about one hour through the window. We chatted and she shared with me that she worked here now for six years and has realized an exhibition project with artist Emilia Neumann an⁣d women, who stayed at the Lilith.

Pool Party, 2020⁣
Framed edition by Sonja Yakovleva⁣
Laser paper cut on solid bleached board 300g/m2⁣ 80 x 60 cm⁣. Edition of 50 plus 5 artist’s proofs⁣. 83 x 63 cm framed with glass⁣
450,00€ + shipping

Framed edition by Sonja Yakovleva
We Are Family, 2020
Laser-cut paper, 300g/m2
80 x 60 cm
Edition of 50 plus 5 artist's proofs
83 x 63 cm, framed with glass
450,00€ + shipping

Sonja Yakovleva’s work questions the ideology behind material value and social inequality. Located on the boundary between art and handicraft, she shows paper cuttings, gouaches, installations, vides and performance of alternative realities that often depict female protagonists. For Yakovleva it is the moments of absence amid those of total visibility that raise questions of power, representation and imagery. Her work incorporates the impossible places, silent instants, untold stories and artistic practices that are rejected by the patriarchal system of high culture. Yakovleva stresses that her choice of material is considered more feminine than it should be – in reality it is rare that a handcraft is dominated by women. Yet in terms of content her work is full of revealing observations of patriarchal structures and heteronormative power relations.

26/02/2021

NOW ON: Nadia Perlov (@nadiaperlov) has opened “Floor Plan Bling Bling“, her first solo show at Robert Grunenberg - on view through April 3, 2021.

The exhibition features Nadia’s sculptural ladders, constructed out of patchwork textile screens embellished with insect origami made from architectural floor plans. One long snake dissects the room diagonally, forcing the viewer to navigate the “gamified” territory of the gallery.

“With her native Israel as her recurring case study, the artist draws on her background in choreography and dance notation to materialize multi-layered research about contested space-making practices in the Palestinian-Israeli region, past and present. Just as the sociopolitical dimensions of these practices are broadly overlooked by a general local public, Perlov’s artworks cloak themselves in a clownish design aesthetic to appear as seemingly playful, innocent, or decorative. This interpretive openness invites the viewer to reconsider how meaning is created in and through the aesthetics of architecture, land zoning tactics, borders, and infrastructure, particularly in the normalization of political occupation and racial/religious segregation through urban planning and design.“ (Jeppe Ugelvig)

To schedule a virtual tour of the show or for any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

25/02/2021

I am excited to announce Floor Plan Bling Bling, Nadia Perlov’s (@nadiaperlov) first solo show at the gallery, running through April 3, 2021, while comfortably sitting on Nadia’s “Untitled”, 2021 🐍.

In spite of the difficult situation we all find ourselves in, art is as urgent as never before.

About one year ago…

Frankfurt, February 2020. Like every year, I went to the graduation show at Städelschule, the Art Academy of Fine Arts. It was the first time I saw Nadia Perlov’s work, who studied here in Frankfurt in the class of Judith Hopf. My father, who often joins me at the Rundgang, and I entered Nadia's studio.

I remember a pleasant scent that filled the air and was part of her graduation presentation. I looked at her wall objects with fascination and wonder, as I had never seen anything like it. So playful and full of fantasy. That colorful facet sparked my interest, so I immediately texted Nadia on Instagram to set up a studio visit.

It didn’t take long until our first meeting, where I began to understand where Nadia’s work comes from. Her practice concerns itself with the spatial politics of occupation and colonization, which she explores through multi-layered and allegorical narratives that employ humor and design tactics. Nadia draws on her background in choreography and dance notation to materialize diverse research about contested space-making practices in the Palestinian-Israeli region, both past and present. Her work shows a different angle, many perspectives and unexpected, seemingly innocent expressions of a complex geopolitical conflict.

I invite you to discover Nadia’s first solo show with us. As the world is undergoing a lockdown and most art venues remain closed, dialogues have shifted to the virtual realm.

However, we decided to keep on setting up exhibitions at the gallery, even if it remains unclear when we will be able to open our doors to the public again. We just do it, and we are excited to present Nadia Perlov’s show next to the exhibition by Estonian artist Jaanus Samma (@jaanus_samma).

To schedule a virtual tour of the show or for any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

I am excited to announce Floor Plan Bling Bling, Nadia Perlov’s (@nadiaperlov) first solo show at the gallery, running through April 3, 2021, while comfortably sitting on Nadia’s “Untitled”, 2021 🐍.

In spite of the difficult situation we all find ourselves in, art is as urgent as never before.

About one year ago…

Frankfurt, February 2020. Like every year, I went to the graduation show at Städelschule, the Art Academy of Fine Arts. It was the first time I saw Nadia Perlov’s work, who studied here in Frankfurt in the class of Judith Hopf. My father, who often joins me at the Rundgang, and I entered Nadia's studio.

I remember a pleasant scent that filled the air and was part of her graduation presentation. I looked at her wall objects with fascination and wonder, as I had never seen anything like it. So playful and full of fantasy. That colorful facet sparked my interest, so I immediately texted Nadia on Instagram to set up a studio visit.

It didn’t take long until our first meeting, where I began to understand where Nadia’s work comes from. Her practice concerns itself with the spatial politics of occupation and colonization, which she explores through multi-layered and allegorical narratives that employ humor and design tactics. Nadia draws on her background in choreography and dance notation to materialize diverse research about contested space-making practices in the Palestinian-Israeli region, both past and present. Her work shows a different angle, many perspectives and unexpected, seemingly innocent expressions of a complex geopolitical conflict.

I invite you to discover Nadia’s first solo show with us. As the world is undergoing a lockdown and most art venues remain closed, dialogues have shifted to the virtual realm.

However, we decided to keep on setting up exhibitions at the gallery, even if it remains unclear when we will be able to open our doors to the public again. We just do it, and we are excited to present Nadia Perlov’s show next to the exhibition by Estonian artist Jaanus Samma (@jaanus_samma).

To schedule a virtual tour of the show or for any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

23/02/2021

🚨 Now on view: Sonja Yakovleva (@sonja_yakovleva) and Nicholas Grafia (@nyck_rausch), “Type / Cast / Thrill” at @temnikovakaselagallery, Tallinn, Estonia.

“In the Hollywood film industry, “typecasting” usually describes the process by which a particular actor is being cast for and becomes strongly identified with a specific character, thus forcing the respective actor to repeatedly embody similar roles and—inevitably—represent stereotypes and identities inflected by gender, race, class, and national differences. Although primarily understood as an institutional practice that has gained particular importance in the twentieth century, the process of typecasting simultaneously fuels the expectations of an audience informed by cultural and subcultural codes, spectatorial experience and inherent discourses.

The exhibition takes these processes as a starting point to negotiate and challenge seemingly fixed notions of identity within the expanded cultural field.”

Text by F***y Hauser @fanny.hauser

“Type / Cast / Thrill“ is on view through March 28, 2021.

Installation shots by Roman-Sten Tõnissoo, courtesy of Temnikova & Kasela Gallery.

#artdaily #sonjayakovleva #nicholasgrafia #robertgrunenberg #temnikovaandkasela

18/02/2021

We are excited to present you „Folklore“, Jaanus Samma’s first solo show at Robert Grunenberg, on view through March 27, 2021.

„In the exhibition, Samma considers the concept of folklore as a type of cultural circulation open to q***r re-interpretation. While often considered synonymous with tradition, folklore is a flexible and dynamic medium, distinct in that it doesn’t “belong” to any individual or group in particular. As a set of symbols and stories circulating ambiently within a non-delineated public, folklore constantly undergoes modification, and thus transcends issues of intellectual property. It is both collective and personal, performative and ever-changing, and often stands in opposition to dominant mass-cultural forms. […]“ (Jeppe Ugelvig @jeppeugelvig)

The exhibition features Samma’s pieces from the series “Sweaters” (2017), alongside with jockstraps from his 2018 project “Mythology of the Toilet”, his iconic bright yellow tile works from the “Flaminio Station” series (2017) and his circular drawings inspired by embroided patterns from Estonian folk costumes.

Installation shots by Nick Ash, courtesy of the artist, Temnikova & Kasela, and Robert Grunenberg

To schedule a virtual tour of the show, please contact us at [email protected].

10/02/2021

🔜 Opening: Jaanus Samma, Folklore, 12 February - 27 March 2021

We are happy to announce our upcoming exhibition
Folklore by Jaanus Samma @jaanus_samma

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the gallery remains closed. We are happy to set up a visit or invite you for a virtual tour. Please contact us: [email protected]

Jaanus Samma (b. 1982) is a visual artist based in Tallinn. He studied at the Estonian Academy of the Arts, Tallinn. His works include photographs, installations and videos centred around the study of urban space and our subjective experiences of it. Over the years, Samma’s interests and research have become focused on gender studies and representation of male s*xuality. Investigating how these issues can be discussed and portrayed in art, he combines fieldwork – interviews and archival research – with subjective artistic practice based on his findings. In 2015, he represented Estonia at the 56th Venice Biennale.

Image: Flaminio Station III, 2017
Digital print, ceramic, tiles, metal frame, rubber toilet pulls, chains
178 x 121 cm

05/02/2021

„I believe that paintings are a medium of trust, and it seems to me that in the act of viewing them, frequently a lie may little by little become a truth.” - Tenki Hiramatsu @tenkihiramatsu

Today we are deinstalling Tenki’s show „Lügen haben Beine“ and we would like share again this passage from @oliverkoerner exhibition text:

"At first sight, Tenki Hiramatsu’s paintings, semi-abstract, colorful and vibrant, frequently streaked with hues of nocturnal brown or black, may appear to be somewhat reminiscent of Emil Nolde’s “Grotesken”, a cosmos full of sylvan spirits and therianthropes, which were a lifelong theme for Nolde. However, the fantastical creatures populating Hiramatsu’s paintings appear even more rudimentary and subtle: with delicate brush strokes they are often times drawn, rather than painted. They seem more comic book-like, even though Hiramatsu insists that he does not actually read many comic books. His creatures are more illustrative than their modernist counterparts, such as in “Rumor“ (2020). Here, they slightly resemble the Moomins, the hippo-esque trolls created by the Swedish-Finnish author Tove Jansson in the late 1940s. The expressively folkloristic quality of Nolde’s works resurfaces in Hiramatsu’s paintings, but here it appears ruptured, distinctly un-heroic. Some of Hiramatsu’s characters simply dissolve in lines, streaks and knots, as if having lost all of their vigor."

Tenki Hiramatsu
Rumor, 2020
Oil and acrylic on wooden panel
40 x 30 cm

Courtesy of the artist and
Robert Grunenberg. Installation shots by Nick Ash,
courtesy of the artist and Robert Grunenberg.

Thank you to @barbaraseiler

#tenkihiramatsu #soloexhibition #exhibitionopening #exhibitionopeningberlin #robertgrunenberg #robertgrunenbergberlin

„I believe that paintings are a medium of trust, and it seems to me that in the act of viewing them, frequently a lie may little by little become a truth.” - Tenki Hiramatsu @tenkihiramatsu

Today we are deinstalling Tenki’s show „Lügen haben Beine“ and we would like share again this passage from @oliverkoerner exhibition text:

"At first sight, Tenki Hiramatsu’s paintings, semi-abstract, colorful and vibrant, frequently streaked with hues of nocturnal brown or black, may appear to be somewhat reminiscent of Emil Nolde’s “Grotesken”, a cosmos full of sylvan spirits and therianthropes, which were a lifelong theme for Nolde. However, the fantastical creatures populating Hiramatsu’s paintings appear even more rudimentary and subtle: with delicate brush strokes they are often times drawn, rather than painted. They seem more comic book-like, even though Hiramatsu insists that he does not actually read many comic books. His creatures are more illustrative than their modernist counterparts, such as in “Rumor“ (2020). Here, they slightly resemble the Moomins, the hippo-esque trolls created by the Swedish-Finnish author Tove Jansson in the late 1940s. The expressively folkloristic quality of Nolde’s works resurfaces in Hiramatsu’s paintings, but here it appears ruptured, distinctly un-heroic. Some of Hiramatsu’s characters simply dissolve in lines, streaks and knots, as if having lost all of their vigor."

Tenki Hiramatsu
Rumor, 2020
Oil and acrylic on wooden panel
40 x 30 cm

Courtesy of the artist and
Robert Grunenberg. Installation shots by Nick Ash,
courtesy of the artist and Robert Grunenberg.

Thank you to @barbaraseiler

#tenkihiramatsu #soloexhibition #exhibitionopening #exhibitionopeningberlin #robertgrunenberg #robertgrunenbergberlin