KIM COLLMER


 

"carried landscapes"- an exhibition at the Q18 December 11-12 in Cologne

"carried landscapes" was inspired by many issues currently pressing upon society- missing places, friends, travel, the climate crisis, during this very strange moment in history. This exhibition uses landscapes as tools to consider ourselves in relation to the world, personal histories, and interpersonal connections outside of screen-space. Organized by Kim Collmer, the artist asked a selection of people to submit an image of a "carried landscape" and also a description of their relationship to it. Over 60 images were sent in. The work was then printed and displayed in loose groups based upon the time of day, from morning to night and finally dream spaces. On the floor Collmer activated the room by creating shapes using indexes from travel atlases.

Along with being a group show, the exhibition also became a personal portrait of the artist as it was a sampling of her contacts these past years. Not all contacts are present in this exhibition; it isn't a scientific study, but more of a snapshot, a moment in time. The experience was akin to going on a short journey with each participant, as well as a trip around the world with such a wide array of locations and images. This collection of work came from all over the world- Australia, Turkey, Ecuador, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, Africa, and many more. Some images were of fantasy locations or reworkings of places once visited. Some were from hometowns, while others from exotic locations from past holidays. Throughout the exhibition, it was abundantly clear that we all "carry landscapes" within us.

Sound played during the exhibition was by the group Animal Magic. The album can be heard here:  Animal Magic at Bandcamp 

This quote inspired the title of the exhibition: 

 “I paint from remembered landscapes that I carry with me—and remembered feelings of them, which of course become transformed. I could certainly never mirror nature. I would like more to paint what it leaves with me”. Joan Mitchell, 1958 

The exhibition concept is open as a format with which others may experiment. What are the carried landscapes for you and your people? What do they look like and what are their stories? Thank you to everyone who shared their work!  Special thanks to the Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westalen and the the Corona Soforthilfe des Bundes.

Link to PDF with Artist Labels (detailing which artist submitted which image).        

 

All images copyright the respective artists of the exhibition.