Archives: Kurse

If snow marked a hard and deprived time in earlier times, today the fear of snow (chinophobia) has turned into a love of snow (chinophile). Since people have been able to sufficiently protect themselves from the hostile effects of snow and cold, artists have begun to see the white splendor with their visually differentiating eyes: Not as a meteorological phenomenon, but as a special condition, a perceptual change that shows “light” in its colorful facet, literally reflecting the entire color spectrum. From Breugel to Monet to Segantini: painting has significantly shaped our perception of snow within the last 100 years.

Not least in the process of the melting polar ice caps, as a result of global warming, there are also cultural aspects buried in snow in an expanded context. From a purely painterly point of view, however, a special process can be discovered in it, in which attention and refined perception are the basis for the aesthetic absorption of the environment.

In St.Moritz we have the snow directly in front of the studio door over the winter months. It will serve us for the workshop in the broadest sense as a painterly model. The theme is considered as a loose orientation framework that can be implemented completely freely, from concrete to experimental, artistic.

This workshop gives an inside view in the field of work of a curator. It will include instructions about the theoretical and practical approach that are substantial for creating and managing an exhibition.

We will visit exhibitions and art works in the St. Moritz region and discuss their social and cultural impact concentrating on the the different perceptions of a piece of art if it is seen in a museum, a commercial art gallery, an off-space, a public space or in a private collection. Different spaces claim for different approaches of the curator planning an exhibition.

An important part of the curatorial work is organization. During  the workshop you will get advice to the practical side of exhibition management as: Budgeting, transport, insurance and setting up the work. We are also watching closer at Marketing and PR.

Together with the artists participating the workshop of Philipp Goldbach we will create a pop-up exhibition in a hotel in St. Moritz. For the curatorial notes we have to be in close contact with the artists learning about their work and their work process.

During our workshop, rather than focusing on the oeuvre as a result, we will focus on the individual working process. At the end of the week, the production process itself will become the object of an exhibition. Regardless of the type of art or preferred media, the participants are invited to come together to examine their artistic work process, their tools, and their methods. The goal will be to find a scenical form of showcasing this process. The presentation can take a visual or verbal form, it can be analytical, matter-of-fact, in a humorous, fantastical, exuberant, documentary or performative way. These presentations will be shown in a pop-up exhibition at the end of the week.

Each participant is invited to bring a current work – a work in progress, a project or a concept – that will be used as a starting point for this an alternative view on their own production process.

Abstract paintings seem to come as testimonies of their own world. The workshop participants are invited to place their work in this imaginary alternative world. How would the work change in a world with a color spectrum different from ours? Complementary, perhaps, to the spectrum we are used to: a spectrum in which our planet is in fact blue and different shades of blue are the only colors we could perceive?

The workshop is intended to be an invitation to enter the field of abstraction in its totality: From a single brush stroke to complete imaginary worlds.

Over the course of the workshop we will intensively engage with the possibilities of abstraction (in 2D): We will work with reduction, with simplifying and reducing reality as it is perceived.  Finally, we will also work towards process oriented pictorial work in which gesture, colors, and traces will be the main actors in the abstract space.

Andreas Korte will lead a workshop on historic developments, production methods and the particularities of exhibition making within the context of time-based media art. It is aimed at artists as well as curators who have an interest in this field.

Recent technological developments mean that professional standard equipment is now widely available at a relatively low cost – a situation that has fundamentally changed the economics of production.  The moving image has become one of the most dominant forms of self-expression, disrupting and transforming the ways in which we think about, and communicate with each other.  New technologies have become increasingly central to artistic practice, with contemporary artists making work that spans film, video and VR.  Likewise, curators are having to develop new presentation methods that are not only synchronized with artists’ visions, but also meet the rapidly changing expectations of their audience.

In the first part of the workshop students will have the opportunity to present their own projects, and gain insights into the different stages from initial planning to actual production.  In the second, they will discuss exhibitions and exhibition making, with a focus on current curatorial approaches. Lastly, they will develop a group show, encompassing both new and existing projects, which will then be installed in an art space in St. Moritz.

Traditionally wealth is seen as a general accumulation of real estate, land and expensive objects like cars, art, furniture etc. On the contrary money in its immaterial nature is the liquified form of wealth. In a sense money is the not yet realized potential to buy everything that is there to buy. Lately alternative concepts of wealth have been introduced: cultural and human capital, fame, health, peace, a just society and so on. An then there is nature and happiness. St. Moritz in Switzerland seems to showcase an abundance of these riches. While socially engaged photography often focuses on the disenfranchised and the disadvantaged, in this workshop we will look at wealth in all its material beauty and spiritual emptiness.

We dress in webs, they protect and decorate us and they function as a kind of second skin. Webs are inextricably linked to the cultural development of mankind. Threading fibers to get a compound is a basic cultural achievement.

Alexandra Bircken’s work shows her strong connection to webs of any kind. During the workshop the participants will work on a web which will be the final result of the week. It is important to note that the word ‚web‘ can have many different meanings to different people and we won’t make any restrictions on your interpretation of a web. Its meaning is certainly not reduced to that of a textile – all materials and medias are possible. The interpretation of the idea of a ‚web‘ can even extend to intangible or technical webs like the World Wide Web or biological webs like the fascia.

The work presented at the end of the workshop can take the form of a drawing on paper, a painting, a photography, or even something sculptural.

Definition of the word ‚web‘: A web is a concatenation of equal or similar elements making a homogeneous connection.

Do we empathize with an art work? In contemporary philosophy empathy usually is focused on human beings, sometimes animals. According to the traditional theories on „Einfühlung“ at the beginning of the 20th century though, empathy can also be intended to objects, forms, colours, atmospheres. And these address us too. Is it therefore possible to speak of a „narrative empathy“ here? The term „narrative empathy“ normally refers to „the sharing of feeling and perspective-taking induced by reading, viewing, hearing, or imagining narratives of another`s situation and condition“, as a Suzanne Keen writes. Again another living entity is central here. However, objects tell stories too – can we therefore also empathize with them in the sense of a „narrative empathy“? How do we empathize with objects as such and with artworks in particular? We will clarify the issue of empathy in general, will then discuss the specific notion of „narrative empathy“ and try to adopt it to art works. In this regard we will also discuss whether empathy with artworks needs a specific form of attention: a steering towards the object where this is received in a manner different from other contexts.

In this workshop we will investigate what possible stories lie hidden in an object, and over the course of the workshop we will develop artistic strategies to unveil these. Each member of the class is asked to bring a personal ‘object’ to use as a starting point for this exploration. This ‘object’ can be a book, a record, a text, a tool, a handful of dust, in fact anything is possible here. The only important thing is that the matter brought shall be of personal interest, emotionally and/or intellectually, for the student. Through individual tutoring we will do an exercise of how to effectively make use of references, facts, fiction and artistic expressions, in order to augment the specific story within this object into a work of art. In the end of the course we will discuss the process together within the group, addressing challenges met, choices made, and the final outcome.

Alexander Gorlizki works across a wide variety of media and processes, many of which involve collaboration with artists, musicians, designers, film-makers, weavers, sand-casters, marble carvers amongst others. At the heart of every aspect of his work is drawing.

In giving drawing a very broad definition and using it as a process and metaphor the artists are encouraged to set aside their preconceptions of what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘bad’ drawing and to approach it with an open mind. The workshop will be intensive but conducted in a spirit of play and adventure.

While focusing on the practical side we will also include some art historical context with short presentations about artists who’ve used drawing in surprising ways. We will also look at examples of drawing-dedicated museums, institutions and collections, with a view to exploring specific applications for participants’ professional development.

It’s a long road from the development of a  creative idea to the completion of your work. Countless decisions are to be made in terms of esthetics, including the choice of media, colors, surface, proportion, composition and many more.

Furthermore, during the work process obstacles or coincidences can arise  that  can lead to a revision of the original plan and might eventually change the final piece.

You will bring in your individual projects which are still in a planning and developing phase, and together we will discuss various artistic strategies to achieve a final piece. Perhaps structural changes have do be made and objectives have to be adjusted.

Please bring project sketches (analogue or digital) which illustrate your plans and intentions.

‘HOW TO … make (Art)Books’ is about the basics of the practical and creative process of making artbooks: From conception to production, up until publication and distribution.

During a first part of the workshop we are working on the possibilities and basics of transforming an own, individual art project into a book or a catalogue. Carmen Strzelecki will show us the basics of design from scratch (media, typography etc.) and further options of publications besides the classic art book. We try to find answers to questions such as: What are the design options which corresponds to my individual requirements? Why is the art book an important reference? For this part we are going to work digitally.

In the second part of the workshop the participants will work on a unique copy of an artist’s book (‘Journal Intime’), focussing on the individual iconography of the alpine landscape. We will be working on questions such as: Do ideas like ‘natural beauty’ and ‘illuminated nature’ still work in our postmodernistic feelings? Are the alps a symbol for conquest or contemplation? The ‘journal intime’ will be made of found objects and materials with different kinds of media such as collage, drawing, painting etc.

Unburnt clay is the medium used for conceptual photoshoots in this workshop. The most overwhelming moment in creating art often presents itself during the work progress. Photography allows us to freeze this very moment we are looking for. The main theme of our work will be our searching process. Motive and form shall be in a permanent change while we are working with the clay in nature to correspond with it. The final work could be a picture in midst of the surrounding alpine landscape. Of course all participants are very welcome to bring their own ideas about staged photoshoots with clay.

Working media will be clay (provided by the organization) as well as found or produced on site materials and objects.

In our workshop we will explore paper as a medium in a playful and experimental way. You can choose your own technique which could range from drawing to collage, sculpture, photography or installation. We’ll also arrange excursions in the valley in order to further find influence for our work.

Meanwhile, we will be developing a journal of our activities. This can be done individiually or in the group. Eventually we will put together zines or artist books to present the self reflection of our work and the experiences made in these new surroundings. We try to work with unpretentious, ephemere and easy accessible media. Paper, crayons, scissors and smartphones etc. are all great tools that can be used.

Street Photography, Portraits, Editing Your Work, Review Student’s portfolios, Working in B&W , Working in Color, Group Critiques …This workshop held by L.A. based photographer Craig Semetko will be as varied as a look at a day in the life of a barista in a cafe to shooting wild flowers to street photography to portraits. Based on the student’s interests Semetko will assign projects for the week for each student individually. Beside the work ‚in the field’ there will be short talks and group reviews of the students work from the previous day. On the last day of the workshop the students will present their finished projects.

One of the earliest photographic printing technique, discovered 1842, is the cyanotype process. It results in prints of a signature blue color. Many arstists were able to use Cyanotype and thanks to its simplicity it remains an accessible material for us today.

As the technique is quite simple, we will soon get into a creative process with an open end. Let’s see how the Endadin-Sun influences our artistic work on photographic prints.

Students may print from digital negatives – images printed from a computer onto transparency film. Please bring: Goggles, dustmask, apron or old shirt

In practical and experimental studies we will discuss questions about urban or rural topographies and about socio-political structures. Empty spaces and architectonical richness, non-sites and institutional parameters will be explored, analised and descripted in a new way.

Alice bends a bow, shoots the arrow, runs to where it hit and draws the bull´s eye of a target around it. Bryan cuts out the eyes from a photo of his mother and sticks them onto a saving box. Charles is staggering whether to wear Saddam Hussein´s undershirt or not….The ancient vision of the magic impact of images and it´s inherent hazard has educed idolatry, and, in return, the ban on images.

Participants should bring: private items, images, letters, texts, photos of their parents, siblings, beloved cats, dogs, canaries and sweet liitle kids; catalogues of department stores, lexica, charts, teaching materials, popular scientific books, illustrations from the late 19th century, discounter´s sales leaflets, Vogue, anglers´ magazines etc. etc…

This workshop focusses on working in series. The participants will be exalted to split up a theme into serial fragments in order to gain a new, faceted insight. This process will open up surprisng perspectives onto the own work. The participants are free of choice concerning artistic techniques, but, besides camera / smartphone and sketchbooks, it is recommended to bring materials that will allow a rapid execution.

Using his own feltworks, Thomas Grunfeld will demonstrate the artistic and experimental potential of this distinctive material. Using simple processes such as separating, sticking, tearing and layering, the material is concentrated into a color field for use in the pictorial composition.This type of ‘painting’ with colour fields allows no modulation of colour and the resulting simplification focusses attention on the composition itself.
No additional collage materials will be permitted. As a result colour and form take on a new meaning, and out of this simplicity a valid image will be created. These techniques will be taught by demystification of image content and compositional discovery.A wide range of coloured felt will be provided for the workshop.

This will be a workshop concerning ideas, idea-development and idea-layering.What is an idea? What is the difference between an idea and a concept? How do ideas function within works of art? What are the connections between ideas, technique and form, and how do these overlap with and support each other? How does the idea of a multi-layered, complex artwork differ from that of a conceptual one?I want the group to look first with me at the film ‘La Notte’ by Michelangelo Antonioni. We will analyse the film especially in terms of its idea-structure and layering. I have chosen a piece of cinema for this purpose because of it’s importance as a unique and inspiring area which is different from that of fine art. The layout of cinematography through time facilitates study and dissection. I want to carry out the workshop itself with particular regard to the individual work and aspirations of the participants. Each participant will be expected to investigate and analyse their own idea-worlds, and at the same time challenge and develop them through working on individual pieces or projects. An atmosphere where work and discussion merge into one another will be an ideal setting to learn from each other.The techniques used will depend on the participants themselves. In addition to your favoured art materials we strongly recommend you bring a camera and sketchbook / moleskin.

The theme of this course was the study of all the aspects of a well-known piece of furniture. Its design, structure and purpose were explored end redesigned with new ideas and concepts. With raw materials such as MDF, wooden planks, paint, glue and screws the students built their own interpretation of the piece of furniture. How could the material be turned into ones very own interpretation of the model?

This course taught strategies and techniques specifically used in project-based painting. Sketches and other materials from the participants previous body of work was examined, sorted and then developed to produce a new starting point. Specific appropriate techniques were selected and taught based on the needs of the group. One of the key targets was to discover and recognize ones own artistic strategies and learn how to employ them. The outcome was that the new skills are used in future projects.

Collage has played an important role in Baechlers body of work at various stages in his career. The students were encouraged to work autonomously during the workshop and given every freedom in their interpretation and utilisation of this stylistic method. It was amazing to see, how each participant developed his own very personal style of collage. Some people took the opportunity to adress previously unresolved stumbling blocks in their work by using this technique. The nearby fields and forests allowed natural objects to be incorporated some of the compositions or it enabled the artist to devote himself entirely to the subject of landscape collage.