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.

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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

In the new episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with French sculptor Juliette Minchin, whose works are currently shown in the showroom at KÖNIG GALERIE as well as in the group show METAPHOR TO METAMORPHOSIS at KÖNIG MUNICH.

In her work, Juliette Minchin mainly explores concepts linked to transformation. The use of natural materials (earth, wax, wood, iron, or liquid) gives her sculptures an undeniably organic dimension, with surfaces that are close to the skin in their appearance. A marker of the passage of time, each of his works is most often produced in series, presented in different states.

In the podcast, König and Minchin speak about her time studying art in Paris, how she developed her own visual language, and how she creates her distinctive wax sculptures.

View the exhibition HERE

In dieser Episode von WAS MIT KUNST unterhalten sich Johann König und der Innenarchitekt Felix Hemmers über sinnvolle Nachnutzungen von Kirchengebäuden. Das Gespräch wurde im Rahmen des Architekturfestivals Open House in Essen aufgezeichnet, bei dem König als Gastredner geladen war.

Anhand des Beispiels St. Agnes Berlin unterhielten sich König und Hemmers darüber, wie man eine ehemalige Kirche als Galerie und pulsierendes Kulturzentrum etabliert. Welche Chancen bietet eine solche Umgestaltung für andere Kirchen? Wie können solche Räume zu Orten der Kreativität und des Austauschs werden? Diese und weitere Fragen wurden im Gespräch erörtert.

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