Was mit Kunst - Ein Podcast von und mit Johann König | Podimo

In dieser Folge von WAS MIT KUNST spricht Johann König mit der chinesischen Malerin Xiyao Wang, deren Soloshow LIGHTLY FLOATS AND DRIFTS THE BOAT bei KÖNIG MEXICO CITY zu sehen ist.

Xiyao Wangs Werke sind von einer abstrakten Formensprache geprägt, die aus der Wechselwirkung zwischen den expressiven Bewegungen ihres Körpers beim Malen und den entstehenden Spuren auf der Leinwand hervorgeht.

Die Energie beider Bereiche – des Raums vor dem Bild und der dargestellten Fläche innerhalb des Bildrahmens – wird mit der Lebendigkeit und Kraft eingefangen, die dem Entstehungsprozess jedes Werks innewohnen. Johann und Xiyao sprechen über diesen Prozess sowie über verschiedene Arbeitswerkzeuge wie Kohle und den „Oilstick“.

Inspiriert von dem klassischen chinesischen Gedicht 归去来兮辞 (Ah, Homeward Bound I Go!) reflektiert die neueste Werkserie ihrer Soloshow LIGHTLY FLOATS AND DRIFTS THE BOAT ihre fortwährende künstlerische Reise und persönliche Suche nach Identität.

Die Ausstellung verbindet kulturelles Gedächtnis, philosophische Reflexion und die Vergänglichkeit der Zeit – Themen, die sowohl in ihrem Leben als auch in ihrer kreativen Praxis eine zentrale Rolle spielen.

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© Portrait by KÖNIG GALERIE

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König sits down with Japanese artist Etsu Egami to explore the themes of miscommunication, Asian artistic heritage, and global influences in her work. Following the opening of her solo exhibition, MELODY, at KÖNIG GALERIE, Egami discusses her unique approach to portraiture, blending influences from Japanese painting and European figurative traditions.

Egami reflects on her classical training in oil painting – an imported technique in Asia – and how her background in calligraphy informs her signature translucent brushstrokes. She shares insights into her fascination with miscommunication as a visual concept and how her art transforms language barriers into striking, emotive compositions. The conversation touches on the differences between painting from information versus memory and friendship, as well as the universal potential of visual art to bridge cultural divides.

Together, Egami and König delve into the influences behind MELODY, from pop icons like John Lennon and Freddie Mercury to composers like Mozart. Egami also discusses her first full-length group portrait, examining how her work distills the human figure into a grammar of gesture and color.

Listen in to hear why Egami believes art is a universal language and how she uses painting to reimagine the way we see and connect with one another.

Learn more about the artist HERE

Portrait of Etsu Egami © Courtesy of the artist

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König sits down with Spanish artist Paco Pomet to delve into the surreal, grotesque, and satirical worlds of his oil paintings. Following the opening of his solo exhibition, BRAND NEW PRISTINE TURMOILS at KÖNIG BERGSON, Pomet unpacks his unique approach to art, from his fascination with black-and-white photography and old film noir to his technique of distorting reality to evoke both humor and unease.

Pomet reflects on how his childhood vision struggles shaped his obsession with the "art of looking" and discusses the challenge of painting from memory. He reveals how his works disrupt the supposed truth of images, turning historical photos into sites of surreal critique and commentary. Together, König and Pomet explore themes of duality – joy and sadness, order and chaos – and how art has the power to shake perceptions and confront history.

Listen in to hear why Pomet believes art should "put the finger in the eye of the viewer" and how he uses painting to create a dialogue about the complexities of our visual culture.

Learn more about the artist HERE

Portrait by Almudena López Segura © courtesy of the artist

In der neuen Folge von WAS MIT KUNST spricht Johann König mit dem Maler Henning Strassburger über seine Ausstellung KÖPFE in der KÖNIG GALERIE.

Die beiden unterhalten sich über Strassburgers Alter Ego „Alphakenny“, die Tradition der deutschen Malerei, inwiefern der Künstler sich in ihr verortet, und über den Aspekt des Scheiterns in seinem Werk. Dabei wird deutlich, dass für Henning Strassburger das Künstlerdasein mehr als nur ein Job ist. Er sagt: „Ich meine mal, das Interessante am Kunstmachen ist ja auch, dass man nicht abends Feierabend hat.“

Mit KÖPFE präsentiert die KÖNIG GALERIE die erste Einzelausstellung von Henning Strassburger im Kirchenschiff von St. Agnes. Die Ausstellung umfasst neue Gemälde und erstmals auch Skulpturen, die Strassburgers dynamische Bildsprache kraftvoll verkörpern. Mit kräftigen Farben und gestischen Kompositionen erkundet der Künstler die vielschichtigen Überschneidungen von Identität, Medien und sozialen Erzählungen. Seine Werke sind ein lebendiger Kommentar zu unserer heutigen fließenden Existenz.

Strassburger lebt und arbeitet in Berlin. Er studierte an der Akademie der Künste in Düsseldorf. Seine Arbeiten waren in zahlreichen Gruppenausstellungen zu sehen, u.a. im Kunstraum Potsdam (2022), in der Kunsthal Rotterdam (2020), in den Deichtorhallen Hamburg (2019), in der Aishti Foundation Beirut (2018) und in der Bundeskunsthalle Bonn (2016).

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© Portrait by Jakob Wiechmann

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with the artist Esra Gülmen, whose works are on view in the showroom of KÖNIG GALERIE.

In the podcast, Gülmen talks about her practice and how she became an artist. From her education in architecture, and her career in advertising, to her life as an artist in Berlin. Gülmen has developed a playful, ironic practice by carving out and revealing “embedded notions” of social codes, and with it, torpedoing any vestige of the ideal in contemporary art.

Learn more about the artist HERE

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with the artist Esra Gülmen, whose works are on view in the showroom of KÖNIG GALERIE.

In the podcast, Gülmen talks about her practice and how she became an artist. From her education in architecture, and her career in advertising, to her life as an artist in Berlin. Gülmen has developed a playful, ironic practice by carving out and revealing “embedded notions” of social codes, and with it, torpedoing any vestige of the ideal in contemporary art.

Learn more about the artist HERE

In der neuen Folge WAS MIT KUNST spricht Johann König mit dem Gründer Erich Reich über seine Unternehmen Studierenden Kunstmarkt.

Der Studierenden Kunstmarkt wurde ins Leben gerufen, um Kunststudierenden eine Plattform zur Ausstellung und zum Verkauf ihrer Kunst zu bieten. Die immer steigende Nachfrage an Kunstwerken von Studierenden hat nun dazu geführt, dass die Kunstwerke nicht mehr nur auf den Rundgängen in den Universitäten, sondern speziell auch Online gesehen und gekauft werden können. Die hier ausgestellten Werke stammen von Kunststudierenden aus den renommiertesten Kunsthochschulen Deutschlands und vereinzelt auch von Universitäten aus Österreich, Tschechien, Polen, Holland, Russland und der Schweiz.

Mehr Infos zu Studierenden Kunstmarkt HIER

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with the painter Allison Zuckerman, whose two-person exhibition, POWERSHIFT, featuring the works of Evelyne Axell and Allison Zuckerman, is on view at KÖNIG GALERIE until December 21, 2024.

Curated by Zuckerman, this exhibition explores how feminist art evolves, and responds to its time while remaining constant in its messaging. Axell and Zuckerman, though separated by decades, both employ art to challenge and redefine the representation of women. Their works resonate with themes of empowerment, society’s fixation on the fleeting nature of beauty, and the performance of womanhood. Together, they create a rich dialogue exploring the struggle for female autonomy and the complexities of female identities and agencies.

In the podcast, Allison talks about her practice and her exhibition at KÖNIG GALERIE.

This episode is a re-air from a previously recorded podcast with Allison Zuckerman.

Learn more about the artist HERE

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with the painter Clédia Fourniau, whose exhibition MASHENUP opens at KÖNIG SEOUL on 26 OCTOBER 2024.

Clédia Fourniau’s paintings are created using acrylic paint, mica, and resin on primed canvas or textile that forms a mirror-glossy surface producing an introspective dialogue between the reflected image and reality. The act of painting is fundamentally dependent on material and process. Rooted in a practice of body in action that is built up in her studio in an extended and unpredictable temporality. She works on the serial and gestural dimension of abstract painting by questioning representation, and the conditions of creation, perception, and reception of a double image. Her approach roams between a formal, controlled, and accidental practice.

In the podcast, Clédia talks about her practice, her exhibition at KÖNIG GALERIE, and where she gets her self-confidence as an artist from.

This episode is a re-air from a previously recorded podcast with Clédia Fourniau.

Learn more about the artist HERE

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König welcomes Ukrainian artist Julia Beliaeva. In a conversion in the backdrop of the artist’s booth in the showroom of KÖNIG GALERIE, they speak about Beliaeva’s practice and the circumstances for artist’s in Ukraine.

Julia Beliaeva, first and foremost, is a digital artist. Her artworks are born digital and exist beyond the earthly idea of fragility. Beliaeva works with sensitive subjects and tends to amplify their impact by placing them in fragile forms. Her digital creations often find embodiment in ceramics and porcelain.

She is interested in how technology affects us and our consciousness, as well as how the new technology can make sense and update traditional media. In particu¬lar, Beliaeva works a lot with porcelain, which allows her to reflect on the heritage and lost traditions through a combination of new technologies and the popularity of Ukraine’s ceramic industry, which is now lost.

View the exhibition HERE

View the showroom presentation HERE