Exhibition Dates: July 10 – August 9, 2015
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 12-6pm
Location: 120 Essex Street NY, NY 10002 (inside Essex Street Market)
Presented in collaboration with Residency Unlimited
Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space and the LES Studio Program is thrilled to present Some Great Modern Mediums, a solo exhibition of recent work by Frankfurt-based artist Tina Kohlmann. As in much of her practice, Kohlmann’s installation oscillates between real and mythical narratives, constructing a fictional ethnography composed of artifacts that transcend the boundaries between traditional handcraft, pop aesthetics, costume, spiritualism, art and science. Working across form, technique and media — hand woven rugs and rope masks, cultivated crystals grafted onto volcanic rock, skrimshaw on shell — Kohlmann’s work resembles a Renaissance wunderkammern merging antiquities, exotica, relics, as well as real and faked naturalia into a single alchemical phenomenon.
Tina Kohlmann’s artistic practice integrates installation, sculpture, performance and the use of objects. Her work is influenced by an interest in ethnological artifacts, nature and science, as well as costumes and fashion. Through her work, she moves between object and metaphor and playfully undermines aesthetic value systems. Kohlmann’s installations engage with various working methods and techniques. She employs precise analytical observation to question subjects of interest such as the differentiation between arts and crafts, hobby and play or mysticism and esotericism. These streams of questions are collected by the artist within the location of the installation which forms it’s own particular time and space bringing forth environments which expose emotions, and the search for a heightened state of exaggeration, glamour and serendipity.
In addition to her artistic practice, Kohlmann is a founding member and curator of Szpilman Award, an award which focuses on ephemeral art.
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Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space and the LES Studio Program are programs of Artists Alliance Inc., a 501c3 not for profit organization located on the Lower East Side of New York City within the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center. Cuchifritos is supported in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. This program is made possible by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. We thank the following for their generous support: Marie and John Zimmermann Fund, New York City Economic Development Corporation and individual supporters of Artists Alliance Inc. Special thanks go to our team of dedicated volunteers, without whom this program would not be possible.
