Human?
Exhibition
The exhibition HUMAN? at Neues Kunsthaus Ahrenshoop explores artistic self-determination through contemporary positions in painting, drawing, photography, and installation with radio play. The question of who we are is often underestimated, despite the fact that, as humans, we are constantly faced with the challenge of understanding ourselves. It is only through our answer to this question that we critically position ourselves in the world and define what holds meaning for us.
Marlene Pfau (DE) – Photography
Hieronymus Proske (DE) – Painting
Catharina Szonn (DE) – Installation with radio play
Xianwei Zhu (DE/CHN) – Painting/Drawing
Curated by Olivia Franke
Opening
3 December 2023, 5 PM
In Marlene Pfau’s photographic practice, the human being takes center stage. She transforms the dynamic realities of the people she photographs, capturing fleeting moments in their lives and preserving them as eternity. Catharina Szonn explores contemporary technological and societal conditions through her artistic practice. In HUMAN?, she presents for the first time a spatial installation with a radio play: "That’s what I’m living for", a critical examination of the human-machine relationship.
In his paintings, Hieronymus Proske moves beyond the object status of images, bringing them to an imagined sense of vitality. His work merges the physical presence of a body in the painting with the perception of its living essence. Xianwei Zhu bridges Western and Eastern artistic and philosophical traditions in his paintings. His works are meditations on the nature of humanity—on the constant movement of the mind, the inevitability of change, and the cycles of birth, aging, and death.
Marlene Pfau (*1984) studied photography at Neue Schule für Fotografie in Berlin under Eva Bertram. She is currently a master student with Ingo Taubhorn and Linn Schröder and is based in Berlin.
Hieronymus Proske (*1948) studied graphic design at UdK Berlin and film at HFBK Hamburg. In 1980, he received a DAAD scholarship for New York University. Since then, he has worked as a visual artist, living in Wendland and Hamburg.
Catharina Szonn (*1987) studied at Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach and continued her studies in Reykjavík and Vienna. She lives in Berlin and focuses on the artistic exploration of technological and societal themes.
Xianwei Zhu (*1971) studied painting at the Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, and later at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart under Cordula Güdemann. He currently lives and works in Stuttgart and Beijing.
Accompanying Program
21 January 2023, 4 PM
What is a human? – Aspects from a theological perspective.
A conversation between theologian Ute Rokahr and curator Olivia Franke.
4 February 2023, 4 PM
HUMAN-ART-IMAGE – A lecture by Olivia Franke on the visual history of human representation from early history to the present.
Closing Festival
18 March 2023, 4 PM
Radio play release That´s what I´m living for
To mark the release of the radio play, Olivia Franke speaks with artist Catharina Szonn and director Catharina von Bülow.
18 March 2023, 6 PM
Essay on Humanity – A Dialogue
Leila Benbaouche and Brian Franke engage in a discourse between art and the humanities.
19 March 2023, 4 PM
A discussion with painters Xianwei Zhu and Hieronymus Proske, as well as photographer Marlene Pfau, on differences in artistic practice between China and Europe and their personal approaches to the theme of humanity.
Alle Informationen zum Besuch finden Sie hier.
