MAY 2021
Sun | 2021 | 21 X 29 cm | Paper
COVER COLLAGE BY DENNIS BUSCH
ISSUE #1 - IDENTITY
FEATURING INTERNATIONAL ANALOG COLLAGE ARTISTS BASED IN GERMANY
©2021 BCP ZINE created by Koywe Kollage, Fernanda Porto, Tonii Reed & Florencia Prats cover art by Dennis Busch All rights reserved. This online magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Berlin Collage Platform (BCP). Each artist owns the rights to the submitted images and the meaning of those works doesn´t necessarily represent the vision and values of BCP. Issue #1 - Identity berlincollageplatform@gmail.com
INDEX
Editorial ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 05 Interview BCP - Part 1 ………………………………………………………………………………….. 06 Artist´s showcase 1 Ateljewjlhelm ………………………………………………………………………………………… 08 Christian J. Klebmann …………………………………………………………………………… 10 Claudia Tyborski ……………………………………………………………………………………. 12 Dennis Busch…………………………………………………………………………………………. 14 Fernanda Porto Art ………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Florencia Prats …………………………………………………………………………………….. 18 Ingrid Bittar ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Jannis Pätzold ……………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Joanna Wietecka …………………………………………………………………………………… 26 Jojo Hicks …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28 Jorge Chamorro…………………………………………………………………………………….. 30 Justine Laeufer …………………………………………………………………………………….. 32 Interview BCP - Part 2 ………………………………………………………………………………….. 34 Artist´s showcase 2 Kai Holland ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 36 Kodaek_2020 …………………………………………………………………………………………. 38 Koywe Kollage ………………………………………………………………………………………. 40 Maria Elisa Quiaro …………………………………………………………………………………. 44 Natalie Huth ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46 Niels Kalk …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 48 Olivia Descampe ……………………………………………………………………………………. 50 Ovska …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 52 Peter Buechler ………………………………………………………………………………………. 54 Sabine Remy ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 58 Susanna Lakner …………………………………………………………………………………….. 60 Tonii Reed ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 62 Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………………………………. 64 3
#IDENTITY 24 artist show us two of their works that define their style in collage and answer what analog collage means to them.
EDITORIAL Berlin Collage Platform Zine is a digital magazine published by BCP on its Issuu page that focuses on showcasing the diversity of collage as a main technique, and features a national and international selection of talented artists in its first edition. We made an Open Call through Instagram where artists were invited to use #berlincollageplatformidentity to make their first entry. After carefully reviewing all the content, the BCP team selected 20 artists who stood out for their work. For this first edition, BCP decided to use the theme "Identity", which we believe is essential when it comes to the creation of meaningful art. It constructs who we are as individuals, as a society or nation and helps us question our own culture and stereotypes by exploring gender, sexuality, race, nationality and heritage more deeply. The theme goes hand in hand with the purpose of the platform on Instagram where we celebrate those artists working in Germany who, through their own exploration, have managed to develop a language that represents them as collagists and speaks to their own identity.
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INTERVIEW WITH BERLIN COLLAGE PLATFORM Part 1 of 2 When was the BC-Platform founded? What is the idea of the platform and who is the behind this project? Koywe Kollage: The project was founded by Koywe Kollage and Fernanda Porto Art on February 1st 2021, in order to reinforce and support the sense of community among the collagists working in Germany. We also want to create a network of artists, international and national, that exchange of ideas, opportunities and knowledge. I believe that, by sharing the talent in this country, the platform can become a source of inspiration and an example of the versatility within the world of collage. We are an international team of four collagists formed by the two founders as well as Tonii Reed and Florencia Prats (a.k.a @bicefala_ on Instagram). We are all artists based in Berlin that share strong passion for collage.”
Where can we find the BC-Platform and which artists can present themselves and the collages on the platform?
Fernanda Porto Art: Berlin Collage Platform can be easily found via Instagram: @berlincollageplatform , or via email to berlincollageplatform@gmail.com. We are an open local based platform and you can write to us to talk about projects, exhibitions, workshops, open call, fanzines, collaborations or just to get to know us and create a relationship. To be featured in our platform, send us an email with the following information: 1. A short biography and artistic statement, including your country of origin and current city of residence in Germany 2. Instagram username and website 3. A photo of yourself (we will use it as a profile picture in our feed) If you are selected, we will choose and download seven images from your instagram to complete your profile. This is a project to encourage a sense of community among collagists and it is free of charge.
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In May 2021 the BC-Platform published the first Zine. What was the reason behind the Zine and where is it available?
Koywe Kollage: In celebration of the world collage day (May 8th), BCP wanted to host its first Open Call focused on those collagists based in Germany. The intention was to discover new talents in this country and to have an overview of the national scene. In relation to this we decided to set the theme of “Identity”, and invite the artists to show us the artworks that best define them as collage artists. The final selection of this initiative becomes the main content of our first digital magazine, which you can visit by clicking on the link in our Instagram bio that will direct you to our Issuu page.”
How were the artists selected for the Zine? And how did you choose their work?
Fernanda Porto Art: We made an Open Call named “Identity” through our Instagram account, where artists were invited to use the hashtag #berlincollageplatformidentity to make their submission. Thanks to this Open Call, we had the pleasure to gather more than 330 beautiful works from numerous collage artists based in Germany and the final selection wasn't easy, due to the high quality level of each participant. The BCP team knows the importance of a curatorial vision to provide a critical input to the contemporary collage scene, therefore, we consider several criteria for the selection such as contemporary relevance, originality, technical quality, composition, style, artistic work consistency, expressiveness, etc. Furthermore, having an interesting mix of artists in the magazine was important for us in order to convey a cross-section and impression of “identities”. Finally, after carefully reviewing all the content, we selected 20 artists who stood out. We want to express our gratitude to all the artists that joined our initiative, as well as to the artists that already contribute to this marvelous Zine.”
> Read the second part on page 33
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ATELJEWJLHELM
German artist based in Freiburg
“I love creating art with my hands, the feel of paper, cutting, arranging, rearranging and seeing stories come to life. There is something very primal and cathartic about it. Analogue collage is my form of self expression, my way of connecting with my subconsious. Rather than striving for perfection, I enjoy the imperfection, rawness and honesty of a handmade collage.”
Blinds 2020 21 x 29,7 cm Paper & glue
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ateljewjlhelm
Movement | 2020 | 21 x 29,7 cm | Paper & glue 9
CHRISTIAN J. KLEBMANN German artist based in Bremen
“Every creation of a collage brings me into a confrontation with myself. I therefore practise in two fields. Firstly, I try to remain in dialogue with my very own being during the execution and, secondly, to transfer this consultation onto the paper in a legible, appealing and relevant way.”
Heartget | 2021 | 20 x 20 cm | Paper 10
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christianklebmann
Rgb | 2021 | 20 x 26 cm | Paper 11
CLAUDIA TYBORSKI
German artist based in Postdam
“The technique of analog collage gives me me the possibility to deconstruct well known images. It helps me to find new or different figures and to show that there is not just one solution or one view on things. The reflection of a huge and beautiful diversity.”
Mary 2021 27 x 34 cm Magazins
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claudia.tyborski
www.performanceclaudiatyborski.com
Red River | 2021 | 27 x 34 cm | Magazins 13
DENNIS BUSCH
German artist based in Bremen “The collage technique is the perfect tool for an artist to push things right through the walls of time and create magical loopholes. With the collage technique, you are able to create a decomposition of time and space and step right into a dimension of transformation and everlasting changes.”
11 White Dots For A Happy Woman 2020 21 x 29 cm Paper collage
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dennis_busch_collage
Transpersonal Venetia Stevenson | 2021 | 21 x 29 cm | Paper collage 15
FERNANDA PORTO ART
Brazilian/Uruguayan artist based in Berlin
“It is the possibility of mixing photography, textile images, ephemera papers among other elements that makes analog collage so intrinsically related to what moves me as an artist: this great melting pot of our contemporary society. A blend of cultures, of styles, of times that live together simultaneously. In my collages, the cell phone, a recurring element, is often a window to an imaginary world, a portal to fictitious planets, or a magnifying glass that yields an augmented perception of our own reality. The archetypes of the digital age that appear in my work are reflections of our attitudes, mirror pictures to open up new perspectives of ourselves.”
Alone But Connected - A.F 2019 - 2020 60 x 45 cm Paper and photography analog collage
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fernandaportoart
www.fernandaportoart.com
Alone But Connected - C.P | 2019 - 2020 | 60 x 45 cm | Paper and photography analog collage 17
FLORENCIA PRATS
Argentinian artist based in Berlin “The displacement of objects from where they once belonged and their placement in a new domain: a universe that reflects the artist’s vision, a cosmos of our own. It’s a marvellous thing!.”
Love Will Let You Down | 2021 | 19,5 x 15.5 cm | Paper Collage 18
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bicefala_
Little Trouble Girl | 2021 | 17 x 11 cm | Paper Collage 19
INGRID BITTAR
Brazilian/German artist based in Berlin
“There's a lot of negotiation involved in making an analog collage, it's a technique that allows you to take anything from the world into your own hands and change it, subvert it and recontextualize it. While that can be weirdly empowering, the materials also don't bend to your will, they are what they are and therefore also inform where a piece might or might not go. I love that.”
Mother | 2020 | 18,9 x 19,1 cm | Books printed between 1960's and 2000's and paper restoration glue 20
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ibbritta
www.ibbritta.com
3 Hearts | 2020 | 33,6 x 25 cm | Books printed between 1960's and 2000's and paper restoration glue 21
JANNIS PÄTZOLD
German artist based in Berlin
“With my artworks, I like to question our inherited ways of seeing and analog collage is a perfect medium to do so. The process with a material that we are all familiar with is simultaneously instant, intuitive and playful as well as painstaking, planned and precise.”
Floating Abstracts (Rose + Green) 2019 23,5 X 15,6 cm Paper, foamboard on found bookpage in bespoke frame
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jannispaetzold
Beach Sculpture 06| 2019 | 17.5 x 21.5 cm | Paper Collage 23
Lake Cheerio (Breakfast At The Atelier) | 2018 | 20,5 X 13,5 cm | Paper on found bookpage
JOANNA WIETECKA
Polish artist based in Berlin
“Through the focused joining of the most perfectly complementary triangular elements that form a harmonious visual unity, I provide myself with an almost meditative process. This kind of composition is meant to symbolize the urge to order the inner states. From chaos becomes wholeness, just like OM Chanting.” No Title 2021 21 x 29,7 cm Paper
-I’d like the perfect slice of life, please -Delivery address? -Triangleborder Island ...___... 26
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jo_wisz
Handmade leather case | 2021 | 21 x 29,7 cm | Paper 27
JOJO HICKS
German/American artist based in Berlin “Doing analog record cover collages is the combination of things I love: art and music. And, whenever I can add a touch of humor to it, it’s the best. My work always happens in a pre defined format with limited material of old record covers I find on flea markets or leftover sales. Being limited here is always a big challenge for my creative process but it makes the work special and lets me forget everything around me.”
The Visage Of Powerness | 2021 | 31 x 31 | Cardboard, vintage record covers only 28
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recordtouille
Malva And The Kiss | 2020 | 31 x 31 cm | Cardboard, vintage record covers only 29
JORGE CHAMORRO
Spanish artist based in Berlin
“Analog collage means to me, basically, surprise. The way to recontextualize images, shapes or colours in ways I wouldn’t have imagined before. The energy or real paper and printed colours. The speed of composing with my hands. The boredom of turning pages and pages of books waiting for something that calls me to cut it out. The happiness of coming back home from a market with new books. The sound of the paper when it’s being cut. To switch off the computer.” Buildingface 2017 28,5 x 21 cm Photos from books and magazines
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_jorgechamorro
www.jorgechamorro.es
Soupface | 2017 | 31 x 24 cm | Photos from books and magazines 31
JUSTINE LAEUFER
British artist based in Berlin “Creative freedom. No boundaries. No limits. No expectations. It allows me the luxury of reinventing my photographic past and present; sometimes radical, sometimes tame. Collage brings together a collision of my visions and thoughts. A crescendo of colliding opposites.”
Take Me As I Am 2018 119,5 x 84,5 cm Photographic Ditone Prints & Glue (own copyrighted images)
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justine_laeufer
www.justinelaeufer.com
Let´S See Where This Takes Me 2019 | 119,5 x 84,5 cm | Photographic Ditone Prints & Glue (own copyrighted images ) 33
INTERVIEW WITH BERLIN COLLAGE PLATFORM Part 2 of 2 What is special about presenting analog art in a digital online Zine?
Tonii Reed: The analog collages are presented on the screen, mostly on the mobile phone display. The challenge is to show the impact of analog art on a digital display as best as possible. In addition, there are questions such as format and resolution. You might think it's not possible to present the details and visual appearance of an analog collage on a small display, but viewers are used to it. I think many collage artists have trained their perception, they are Instagram users and know how to judge the analog art on the display. Sure it's not like an exhibition, but the zine still gives a very good impression.
How do you think the zine will develop? Will there only be analog collage art to see or also digital features in the future?
Koywe Kollage: of content.
I would like to see an organic growth of the magazine and the selection
In this first issue, focused mainly on analog work but I think it is important to point out that there are some very talented artists working with mixed media and digital collage that might be interesting to include. Unfortunately, there are several analog collagists that have not been included in this edition, which is why, perhaps, for the next issue, we will also focus on this type of work, but I do not rule out the option of mixing it up little by little. We will be sharing with you about the projects in due time.
Is there a certain statement or contribution to the collage scene that you want to convey with the help of the zine?
Fernanda Porto Art: Our Zine seeks to deepen our understanding of the visual identity and that integrate the most varied nationalities and visual languages that can coexist within a contemporary and globalized Germany. Our BCP Zine contributes to the scene in a confident and self-aware way as a form of disseminating and exhibiting collages and understanding the great space that this genre plays in today's art world.
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On social media you can see thousands of newly created collages every day - worldwide whether analog or digital. Do you think it's possible to identify some kind of trend in contemporary collage art?
Florencia Prats: I can definitely see specific themes being in vogue, both in analog and digital collage techniques. We are social beings and, on top of that, as artists, very visual individuals too. It is therefore, in my opinion, impossible to detach art from the times we live in - each era has had their own currents, movements and idiosyncrasies in art, fashion, and aesthetics. It is a constant feedback and dialogue among different ages, paradigms and worldviews that are, for sure, reflected in art and, in this case, collage art as well.
Why do you think that analog collage art has developed so positively in recent years? There are so many collectives being formed around the world, how do you think this can this be explained?
Tonii Reed: Collage (and decollage) is a very old technique and many artists have used it. Why the analog collage is experiencing a hype right now I would explain as follows: now, we are in the echo of the digital revolution. Many people spend most of their day behind a screen (mobile phone, tablet, desktop, etc ). Consumption, entertainment, communication, and even most of the creative things take place digitally on a screen. Thus, the analog is a kind of countermovement, it fulfills a need and creates a balance related to the digital process and perception. For artists, it is an alternative to "create something real with their hands''. It is a passion that can get very good artistic results without much technique, just glue, scissors and some paper. The passion for collage is shared by many artists around the world, the internet promotes the artworks and their dissemination. There are regional collage collectives that can show themselves to the global collage art scene - if the whole thing is not a trend, but a real art movement, then we are pioneers of a new era: “the golden age of collage art”.
Is BCP planning to continue with the Zines in the future?
Koywe Kollage: It was a true learning experience for me to discover new artists and to see the incredible work that's being done in this country, so I would love to continue. We have a couple of ideas up our sleeve, but I can't confirm or share anything yet.
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KAI HOLLAND German artist based in Berlin “For me, collage is particularly suitable to respond to the general flood of images. It reflects the handling of the (modern) mass media and vividly documents the endless cycle of collecting, selecting, creating, destroying and so on.”
A Machine To Talk To Foreign Species 2018 | 29 x 28 x 8 cm | Paper, glue, pencil, watercolor, glitter, different plastic parts & clay 36
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kai.holland
www.artist658.wixsite.com/kaiholland
Life Is Not Vegan | 2017 | 44 x 38 cm | Paper, glue, pencil, glitter, watercolor & ribbon 37
KODAEK_2020
German artist based in Wiesbaden “The "analog" work with paper and scissors allows me to interpret and form images in a way that is new to me. In the process, cutting out, collecting and analyzing and assembling various paper fragments into a new whole triggers a similar feeling of happiness in me as painting on a canvas or working in a photographic darkroom.”
Ohne Titel | 2021 | 12,5 cm x 8,2 cm | Papier 38
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kodaek_2020
Skulptur XXXIII | 2021 | 26 × 20 cm |Paper 39
KOYWE KOLLAGE Chilean/German artist based in Berlin “Collage has been an evolving practice in my life that began as a therapy for reconnecting with myself and that is now the translation of my identity and how I relate to the themes that inspire me. The transformation in every piece becomes an extension of my intuitive language. The analog process gives me an inexplicable satisfaction because I can connect directly with the material. I can feel that vibration in my hands when cutting the paper, letting the paper guide me to what to cut, how to paste, and when to stop.” Corpus Nebula 2019 30 x 40 cm Mixed media analogue collage, b&w pictures, ink & white paper
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koywekollage
www.koywekollage.com
Bia 1 | 2021 | 30 × 40 cm | B&W Photography, paint, black paper 41
Explosion Distortion | 2017 | 21 X 29,7 cm | Pictures from magazines
MARIA ELISA QUIARO
Venezuelan/German artist based in Koblenz “Because I work with found materials and I don't transform them digitally, analog collage is always a challenge for me. Each photo, each piece of paper must meet certain size and quality requirements to complete the final work. Additionally, there are other creative aspects that play an important role and are also challenging, such as the need for abstraction, reduction and transformation of the found material.”
Good Company 2021 29,7 X 42 cm Found pictures & own photographs
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mariaelisa.quiaro
www.quiaro.eu
Petrichor 1 | 2021 | 29,7 × 42 cm | Found pictures & own photographs 45
NATALIE HUTH German artist based in Berlin “First of all, to me it means play with things I love. I started to collect old black and white anonymous photos and then vintage magazines as inspiration material for my drawings. At some point, I had so much stuff cut out, I intuitively began to play with the pieces. For me it is important to use the original material because of the special feel and fragility of the paper. Actually, I am not interested in historical or nostalgic aspects of the vintage material - I am addicted to images that tell me something about the timeless mysteriousness of human existence.”
Untitled | 2021 | 21 x 23,5 cm | Paper collage 46
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natalie_huth
www.nataliehuth.de
Untitled | 2021 | 20 x 18,3 cm | Paper collage 47
NIELS KALK
Dutch artist based in Berlin
“For me, analog collage means the freedom to cut, paste and combine whatever and however you want. At the same time, therein lies the limitation that you are bound to the shape, size and color of the material at your disposal. Because I have the tendency to connect pieces (clippings) that fit together in a certain way, you can't really anticipate what will happen and what kind of image will emerge. I find such surprises very addictive. I think that's what attracts me most to making collages, the unconscious process and the limited control over the outcome.”
Good Company | 2014 | 22,8 x 21 cm | Glue & paper 48
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nielskalk
Goodbye | 2016 | 20 x 23 cm | Glue & paper 49
OLIVIA DESCAMPE French artist based in Berlin “Analog collage lets me manipulate, understand, experiment with paper in a sensory manner that is simply impossible digitally. The feel of old paper on my fingers, the smell of mildew and cardboard filling the air as I turn the pages and deep-dive into lost aesthetics... Those hours spent cutting and arranging striking images are like a sensory meditation. It is very much like breathing for me. And there is no such thing as virtual air. I use primarily old magazines, newspapers, books. Searching for new materials is something I thoroughly enjoy as I get to discover so much about things mostly forgotten today. They all have a story of their own to tell, have gone through many hands before mine, in different places and times. Every single one releases a distinctive and unique energy that somehow feeds and shapes the piece I create with their parts. I couldn’t experience this sensory and creative process by clicking on a mouse or sliding my fingers on a bland trackpad. This is why I cherish collage the analog way, with my whole body and soul.” Who You Are 2019 24 x 26 cm Handmade decollage on paper
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olivia.descampe
www.olivia-descampe.com
Out Of Mind | 2019 | 20 X 29 cm | Handmade decollage on paper 51
OVSKA
Polish artist based in Berlin “Two things keep me close to paper: its fragility allows me to create with all senses - cutting, tearing, folding, smelling and feeling the texture of different ages of paper. The second thing is patient work with the material that causes the depths, dependencies and meanings to suddenly emerge from the flat surface.”
Hope 2021 40 x 50 cm Vintage paper on a 300g paper
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ovskastudio
www.ovskastudio.com
It Feels Like A Lifetime | 2020 | 36 X 48 cm | Vintage paper and found paper on a 300g paper 53
PETER BUECHLER German artist based in Berlin “Well, using the word 'collage' these days has no longer anything to do with those analog collages we used to know before the digital revolution and the possibilities of manipulating images with computers. Living in a digital age we have learned easily to think in layers and that a seen image is possibly not what is is – everything is to be proofed under our eyes of consciousness. In my print collages, I use found material like pages from books that show reproductions of paintings which I overprint with photographic material I mostly shoot myself or find online. Putting together two layer of different contexts forces a visible intersection that can only be read by the subjective experience of its viewer. Images lose their objectivity and transfom into something abstract and no longer provable.” Jet 2017 39,5 x 31,5 cm Inkjet print on found book page with photogravure
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peterbuechler
www.peterbuechler.com
Skateboard | 2018 | 39,5 x 31,5 cm | Inkjet print on found book page with photogravure 55
Racer | 2017 | 32 x 40 cm | Inkjet print on found book page with photogravure
SABINE REMY
German artist based in Düsseldorf “For many years, I have focused on working with collages. The older the material, the more interesting it is for me - some of my books are from 1876. Old materials tell stories. My interest lies in combining different pictorial elements, which originally have nothing to do with each other, to create a new statement. The manual work plays a special role for me, as I let the feel of the papers and materials used flow into the work.”
Rolodex 2019 L 16 x W 15 x H 20 cm Founded vintage Rolodex, left over paper pieces from former collage projects and found object
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sabine.remy.collage
German artist based in Düsseldorf
Mind Machine Blue | 2020 | 22 X 15,7 cm | Vintage book cover, various papers 59
SUSANNA LAKNER German artist based in Stuttgart “I like the tactile aspects. The scissoring and glueing. The handcraft factor. The little mistakes I made. An analog collage is a physical object. It is what it is a unique, unrepeatable piece of art.”
Intergalactic Cafe 2 | 2020 | 15,5 x 15,5 cm | Analoge collage, cardboard, magazine pages 60
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bildschneiderei
Intergalactic Cafe 1 | 2020 | 8 X 6 cm | Analoge collage, cardboard, magazine pages 61
TONII REED
German artist based in Berlin “For me, collage is more than just a nice composing that gets a like on Instagram. It is more than decoration and more than visual entertainment. Collage tells a story and gives a statement! If the statement of a collagist is missing, the artwork is “nonsubstantial” and just decorative. From my point of view, in times of digital revolution, the analog handmade collage becomes a symbol for uniqueness and true creation - not influenced by any algorithm.”
See Him Getting Older | 2021 | 21 X 21 cm | Old magazine on new paper 62
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tonii.reed
Heritage | 2021 | 13 X 18 cm | Old magazine on over 30 year old paper from the former GDR 63
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the people who support the Berlin Collage Platform. It fills us with joy to receive the positive comments that value the work and dedication we put into this project. In addition, we would like to thank all the artists who participated in our Open Call. We believe it has been a great success and still can't believe that we have received more than 380 submissions from 85 artists based in Germany, BRAVO!. During this Open Call, we discovered artists which we did not know yet. We´re excited to publish them on our platform in the future. We thank and highlight the collaboration of Dennis Busch and Natalie Huth for providing us with the images that became the front and back cover of our first edition. We admire their work and it's a privilege to have them included. We would like to thank and applaud the 24 artists selected for participating in the open call, for their willingness to communicate with us, and for submitting the required information in time to be able to create this Zine. Yours, Berlin Collage Platform
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BCP ZINE #1 - IDENTITY What defines you as a collage artist?
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BACK COVER COLLAGE BY NATALIE HUTH
Untitled | 2019 | 21 X 15,5 cm | Paper Collage