Beatrix Opolka

drawings, videos, performance

17 May to 19 July 2009

Beatrix Opolka (D, *1968) is a draftswoman, video and performance artist. In the exhibition we showed large-format works by the artist, who now lives and works in Berlin, one of which was drawn directly on the wall. In addition, Beatrix Opolka has brought her work areas of video and performance into the exhibition, so she has also been active outside of the "shelter museum" in the city of Neuenhaus.
Within the diversity of today's drawing positions, Beatrix Opolka has developed an interesting connection of her own between her former study focuses on sculpture, drawing, video and performance.

"Ether. 2004": "Ten meters of cotton fabric lie before me. I hold the pencil firmly in my hand like a coarse tool and continually strike it from above out of the body downwards against the cotton fabric. For hours, for days, for months, until the graphite combines with the fabric through the innumerable overlays and rubs, giving it different degrees of darkness. After the first three meters, I roll the fabric back up to only a few fogged centimeters. Most of the drawing and about a quarter of a year's work have now disappeared. The work with the pencil on the fabric continues. An inner image and a beating rhythm is maintained. Because of the short distance to the cotton fabric, the eyes are unable to see the entire drawing during the process of creation. Due to the constant movements the close-up view becomes blurred. It is a 'work for the blind'. After one year and over 600 pencils the work is finished. On a large wall I see it completely for the first time. Everything is right. Nothing to add, nothing to take away. (Beatrix Opolka)

A 48-page catalogue has been published for the exhibition. text: Werner Hillmann (Cologne); Design: Gudrun Thiessen-Schneider; Photos: Helmut Claus. Available on demand. pdf for upload here

Sponsor: City of Neuenhaus, State of Lower Saxony