«Soft Shell» at Kunsthaus Langenthal
Groupshow, August 27 until November 15, 2020
Artists
Institution
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Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ivan Mitrovic» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Anna Shirin Schneider» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Soft Shell is a group exhibition at Kunsthaus Langenthal featuring works by Natacha Donzé, Ray Hegelbach, Ivan Mitrovic, Anna Shirin Schneider, and Nora Steiner. These artists explore painting as a medium to engage with everyday impressions, social power differentials, and digital/pop-cultural imagery. They experiment with traditional visual representation conventions, gestural habits, and viewing regimes within the context of painting. The title "Soft Shell" references the contradictory materiality of painting, as well as the balance between assertiveness and vulnerability, playfulness and seriousness in the artists' practices.
Concept
Soft Shell symbolizes the duality of being supple and sturdy, offering comfort and protection. It reflects on how a hard exterior can conceal inner softness, transforming vulnerability into armor. The exhibition concept was influenced by the emergence of the pandemic, leading to a period of uncertainty and reflection. The artists adapted to the changing circumstances, creating works that resonate with the fragility and porousness of the current state of the world.
Soft Shell also alludes to the porous nature of curatorial work, where subjective selections must harmonize as an ensemble while allowing for flexibility. The exhibition showcases painterly attitudes and artistic strategies that involve tactile exploration, scratching beneath the surface, embracing contradictions, and challenging existing perspectives. It encourages artists to embrace vulnerability and earnestness in their creative process.
Eva-Maria Knüsel curated the exhibition, which runs from August to November 2020 at Kunsthaus Langenthal.
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Anna Shirin Schneider» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Natacha Donzé» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Natacha Donzé» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Natacha Donzé» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Anna Shirin Schneider» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Anna Shirin Schneider» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Nora Steiner» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Nora Steiner» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Nora Steiner» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ivan Mitrovic» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
Exhibition View Groupshow «Soft Shell; view on Ray Hegelbach» at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal, 2020 / Photo: CE / Courtesy: the artists and Kunsthaus Langenthal
