NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS, Einblick 1

Thanks to the support and funding of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, the artist Von Silberland was able to realize his work series “Never take Candy from strangers”.

From September 24 to October 9, ato will be showing the resulting works in one of his offices (Rheinhafen Karlsruhe).

Vernissage: 09/24/2022

Further opening hours: SOLO - viewings by appointment at [email protected].

A larger exhibition of the works is planned in Berlin in November.

Artist Statement:

“By promoting the idea, I was able to go into a deep research phase over the last few months, which took place on site, in Karlsruhe. Almost a thousand different drawings and sketches were created, which I would now like to present.

Research and experimentation were at the heart of this project. I spent two months working very intensively with the technical possibilities that are available today in the digital field. It was important for me to discover new elements that I could integrate into my work. Up until then, I had mainly worked with the medium of photography and felt the need to develop my visual language further, to supplement it with new tools and image content. In this case, I wanted to explore how digital sculpture, digital painting and drawing can be combined with photography - not only technically but also artistically. Ultimately, my goal was for the resulting work to work both visually and in terms of content. After a lot of experimentation (around form and color effects), I found a combination of tools that gave me exactly what I had in mind at the beginning: abstract drawings became digital objects, which then made the work possible by combining color, background and simulating camera and light.

I made a conscious decision not to work with renderings. Instead, I turned the drawing into an object in which the (analog) movement of the hand can be clearly traced. Every movement of the hand is drawn into the depth by the extrusion of the finished drawing and thus becomes object-like and sculptural.

Simulating the camera and the light allowed me to show the digital object as if it were a real sculpture and as if I had photographed it in a photo studio.

In terms of content and visuals, the work was initially linked to childhood memories. I wrote the following text, which completes the content of the work:

“Why is everything here completely pointless?

Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy.” (Charlie and the chocolate factory)

As I'm writing this, I'm eating Lindt nougat. The taste reminds me of my childhood. So precise and detailed. The fact that today is also Mother's Day in Argentina reinforces the accuracy of these memories. We went to the movies with my mom and my siblings at least twice a week. Always on Wednesdays and then at the weekend. Going to the cinema meant deciding on a movie, buying drinks and popcorn and then going to the candy store. There were all sorts of shapes and colors. As with all children (everyone I knew at the time), shapes and colors in candy are two of the reasons you want to buy it.

It was exactly this attraction of shape and color that drove me to start working. I set about looking for shapes and colors that worked for me both visually and haptically. I worked completely freely, reminding myself a few times of Burton's version of the movie Charlie at the Chocolate Factory.

New shapes and new colors every day. Some work, some don't. Often the shape is good, but the color doesn't fit and then it doesn't work at all. To date, over 400 works have been created. I have to admit that the work has become more sculptural than expected.

Do they all have to be shown at once for it to work? Or is the form itself - large, grotesque - more important?

Are there candies that really look like this? Is that so important?

It's just Candy.

Or is it not? ”

Thanks to the support and funding of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, the artist Von Silberland was able to realize his work series “Never take Candy from strangers”.

From September 24 to October 9, ato will be showing the resulting works in one of his offices (Rheinhafen Karlsruhe).

Vernissage: 09/24/2022

Further opening hours: SOLO - viewings by appointment at [email protected].

A larger exhibition of the works is planned in Berlin in November.

Artist Statement:

“By promoting the idea, I was able to go into a deep research phase over the last few months, which took place on site, in Karlsruhe. Almost a thousand different drawings and sketches were created, which I would now like to present.

Research and experimentation were at the heart of this project. I spent two months working very intensively with the technical possibilities that are available today in the digital field. It was important for me to discover new elements that I could integrate into my work. Up until then, I had mainly worked with the medium of photography and felt the need to develop my visual language further, to supplement it with new tools and image content. In this case, I wanted to explore how digital sculpture, digital painting and drawing can be combined with photography - not only technically but also artistically. Ultimately, my goal was for the resulting work to work both visually and in terms of content. After a lot of experimentation (around form and color effects), I found a combination of tools that gave me exactly what I had in mind at the beginning: abstract drawings became digital objects, which then made the work possible by combining color, background and simulating camera and light.

I made a conscious decision not to work with renderings. Instead, I turned the drawing into an object in which the (analog) movement of the hand can be clearly traced. Every movement of the hand is drawn into the depth by the extrusion of the finished drawing and thus becomes object-like and sculptural.

Simulating the camera and the light allowed me to show the digital object as if it were a real sculpture and as if I had photographed it in a photo studio.

In terms of content and visuals, the work was initially linked to childhood memories. I wrote the following text, which completes the content of the work:

“Why is everything here completely pointless?

Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy.” (Charlie and the chocolate factory)

As I'm writing this, I'm eating Lindt nougat. The taste reminds me of my childhood. So precise and detailed. The fact that today is also Mother's Day in Argentina reinforces the accuracy of these memories. We went to the movies with my mom and my siblings at least twice a week. Always on Wednesdays and then at the weekend. Going to the cinema meant deciding on a movie, buying drinks and popcorn and then going to the candy store. There were all sorts of shapes and colors. As with all children (everyone I knew at the time), shapes and colors in candy are two of the reasons you want to buy it.

It was exactly this attraction of shape and color that drove me to start working. I set about looking for shapes and colors that worked for me both visually and haptically. I worked completely freely, reminding myself a few times of Burton's version of the movie Charlie at the Chocolate Factory.

New shapes and new colors every day. Some work, some don't. Often the shape is good, but the color doesn't fit and then it doesn't work at all. To date, over 400 works have been created. I have to admit that the work has become more sculptural than expected.

Do they all have to be shown at once for it to work? Or is the form itself - large, grotesque - more important?

Are there candies that really look like this? Is that so important?

It's just Candy.

Or is it not? ”