On 29 and 30 October 2022, Bettina Guckler, Claudia Simoné, Daniel Breininger and Thomas Klingberg will present different artistic perspectives on the topic of violence and violent acts in various areas of life in a joint exhibition in Cologne’s Südstadt district

Under the title ‘Violence’, the public will see a wide variation of different art genres such as print, digital alienation, painting, drawing, documentary and scenic photography as well as poetry. Despite the diversity of the art genres, there is one thing they have in common: the violence of the artistic expression of content, which also includes acts of violence.

Guckler: Artistic focus on violence against children

Cologne-based Bettina Guckler is an artist who combines painting, graphics, drawing and printing. Under the titles ‘Kinder im Visier’ and ‘Warum?’ she thematises the abuse of children. The two series consist of six works each and show, among other things, children’s faces drawn with pastels and oil pastels on paper, reflecting the horror of their experiences. With her works, Guckler makes violence against children visible and gives them a voice. The artist’s intention is that this topic should be discussed more intensively by the general public.

Simoné: Shaping reality through scenic photography

For Oberhausen-based artist Claudia Simoné, the individual shaping of reality through the genre of scenic photography takes centre stage. She focuses on staged portraits in which she emphasises the changeability of people and adds a further level of interpretation to the images – for example, criticism of the affluent society or the provocative portrayal of people who do not conform to the classic ideal of beauty. The fragility of the supposedly strong also finds space in Simoné’s works, which are shown in the exhibition as a cross-section of her artistic oeuvre.

Breininger: Dealing critically with media content

For Daniel Breininger, human perception and our own view of the world are significantly influenced by the media. The Düsseldorf-based artist places current topics and controversial content conveyed by the media at the centre of his work – under the premise that these are always accompanied by a plethora of commentaries, interpretations or subjective additions. He therefore adds digital disruptive effects such as noise or distortions to his classic paintings and drawings. His aim is to encourage a critical approach to information. The exhibition shows a selection of his works.

Klingberg: Poverty and homelessness as experienced violence

For the Düsseldorf documentary photographer Thomas Klingberg, poverty and homelessness are forms of experienced violence that play a central role in his work. In addition to social documentary works, other photographs on the exhibition theme are also on display. He will also be presenting his illustrated book ‘Gelsenkirchen abseits des Fußballs’ and the publication ‘Brüche und AufBrüche’, in which he and journalist Frank Menke portray long-term unemployed people in pictures and text. Klingberg also expresses the power of love and its creative force in his poetry.

Opening

Saturday, 29 October 2022
Admission: 18:00 / Official opening: 19:00
Introduction: art historian Suria Kassimi
Accompanying musical programme: Sax Soul Brother

Opening hours:

Saturday, 29 October 2022: 18:00 – 22:00
Sunday, 30 October 2022: 11:00 – 18:00

Venue:

Galerie 0. Mainzer Straße 37. 50678 Köln (Südstadt).

Admission is free.

Admission subject to the rules in force at the time to contain the corona pandemic.