Images from disaster zones reach us daily in the news, mostly on our smartphones. They burn themselves into our collective eye. Pictures of pictures of catastrophes can now be seen at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In her exhibition there, “Unwetter,” painter Katharina Ziemke presents a series of oil and watercolor paintings that are beautiful and terrible at the same time. Dreamlike catastrophic: pink palm trees fanning in the strong wind or devastation and streams of water becoming ornaments. Wind and water become whiplashes. An aesthetic approach to climate change and at the same time a wake-up call. Katharina Ziemke pursues various forms of artistic practices such as performance, video art and theater, using science as material for her work. The videos on view in the exhibition are also performed by the artist as live painting performances. She already did this in a similar way at the Schaubühne for the production of Thomas Ostermeier’s “Professor Bernhardi.” It was precisely this collaboration that inspired her methodology of “performing” watercolor paintings before the public, where time plays an important role and the process is recorded. Transience is inherent in the work, after they are created, they are wiped away. Quite as mercilessly as storms do. A poetic contemplation, the climate crisis as a burning issue before the eyes, in a place of knowledge and research.
Tina Roeder is a designer, artist and curator in Berlin. A highlight of this year’s Gallery Weekend was her exhibition “Conceptual Substance” at Eternithaus. She is currently initiating the interdisciplinary talk series “Conceptual Conversations”, where conceptual practices and projects are presented and new synergies are woven.
Text: Tina Roeder / Credits: Katharina Ziemke
Exhibition “Unwetter” at Lichthof Ost of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
Mon–Fri 09–21h, Sat 09–17h. The exhibition runs until 10.11.2023.
@katharina_ziemke
@tinasroeder
