Verena Issel

Verena Issel 

Born: 16.06.1982 in Munich, GermanyNationality: Norwegian and German (double passport)
Lives and works in Hamburg, Germany

ㅇ Stay in 　  ㅣ  2015

ㅇ Email   　  ㅣ verena.issel@gmx.de

ㅇ Homepage ㅣ www.verenaissel@gmx.de

EDUCATION

April 2011 - November 2011

Postgraduate - Programme at China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China

October 2002 - February 2011

HfBK Hamburg and Universitat Hamburg (Academy of Fine Arts Hamburg and University of Hamburg)

Two degrees: July 2009: MA Classical Philology - Latin / Ancient Greek

                      February 2011: Master degree of Fine Arts at Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste/ 

                                             HfBK Hamburg

                       SCULPTURE / INSTALLATION Teachers: Pia Stadtbaumer, Andrea Tippel, 

                       Franz Erhard Walther, Michaela Melian (FILM / VIDEO Teacher: Gerd Roscher)

September 2005 - November 2006

Faculdade de Belas Artes, Lisboa, Portugal

August 2000 - June 2001

Fana Folkehøgskole Bergen, Norway — Preparation Studies, Painting class

July 2000

Abitur (High school exame) at Theodor-Heuss- Gymnasium, Wolfsburg, Germany

GRANTS & PRIZES

2015  Artist in Residency at Geumcheoun Art Space; Seoul, South Korea (3 months)

         Working grant "Hamburger Arbeitsstipendium 2015"

2014  Artist in Residency Programme at KCCC in Klaipeda, Lithuania (2 months)

         Grant of Arthur Boskamp Foundation, Hohenlockstedt (with artist group CALL) (6 months)

2013  Free Research Grant; DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) for Papua New Guinea (3 months) 

         Artist in Residency at Studio Mummelmannsberg, Hamburg, Germany (2 years)

2012  INDEX Art Prize (Berenberg Preis fur junge Kunst 2012)

         Artist in Residency at Kunstlerhaus Sootborn (Hamburg) des „Forums fur Nachlasse 

         von Kunstlerinnen und Kunstlern“, Germany (6 months)

         Artist in Residency at Kunstlerhaus Lauenburg des Landes Schleswig- Holstein, Germany 

         (6 months)Art Grant of Kulturbehorde Hamburg for the project „Phaeton in MacPom“

 2011  Scholarship of the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. for studying at the China Academy of 

         Art, Hangzhou, China April 2011 - October 2011

2010  Annual Artists scholarship of the Karl Heinz Dietze Stiftung (12 months)

2009  Grant for Artists, Freundeskreis der HfbK

2008  Scholarship for doing an internship abroad, European Union Leonardo (4 months in 

         Brussels)

2006  Scholarship for studying abroad, European Union Erasmus (12 months in Portugal)

2004  Grant for Gifted Students, Karl Heinz Dietze Stiftung

SOLO SHOWS

2014  Trophy Delight, Galerie Dorothea Schluter, Hamburg, Germany

         Neringa, KCCC Klaipeda, Lithuania

2013  Cargo, Kunstraum Michael Barthel, Leipzig, Germany

2012  Der Baum der Erkenntnis im Rahmen des Projekts „Baltic Raw - Open Museum“, 

         Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany

         Nugae, Kunstlerhaus Lauenburg, Lauenburg/Elbe, Germany

2011  Da Hong Pao, Gallery Shen, Shanghai, China

2010  Wege Acker Garten Schutt, Galerie Melike Bilir, Hamburg, Germany

2009  More Moor, Projektraum Trottoir Hamburg, Germany

2007  White Cube vs. Kuche, POW, Hamburg, Germany

GROUP SHOWS

2015  Feministische Avantgarde der 1970er Jahre- Werke aus der SAMMLUNG VERBUND, 

         Wien und AUDIOCALL; Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, GermanyINCERTITUDES; 

         Goethe Institute, Paris, France.
         Les Jardins Asiatiques. Goethe Institute Toulouse, Cahors, France

         Die Welt Ist Gans: Von A – Z. Enzyklopidaische Grub–Schau der Scheinheiten; Galerie
         Melike Bilir, Hamburg, Germany

         Giovane Creazione Europea. 8 paesi, 48artisti, #1citta; Villa Olmo, Como, Italy.

2014  Statens 127. Kunstutstilling - Høstutstillingen 2014; Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway

         Jahresgaben 2014. GAK Bremen, Germany

         Minianimism. Kling & Bang, Reykjavik, Iceland

         Notausgang am Horizont. Sonderausstellung kuratiert von Ludwig Seyfahrt. Alter 

         Guterbahnhof, Bremen, Germany

         Add Art. Unternehmen zeigen Ihre Kunst. Berenberg Bank Hamburg, Germany

         Lobby Fountains. Hotel Hamburg- eine Stadt besucht sich selbst, Hamburg, Germany

         JCE Biennale Budapest, Hungary

         READYOURCALL. Galerie Diane Kruse, Hamburg, Germany

         JCE Biennale ( Jeunesse Creation Europeenne), Amaranthe, Portugal.

         Warum es Wusten gibt, Das Gift, Berlin, Germany

         Dear Darling (Postcards), Kunstverein Hamburg, Germany

         P/ART- Producers Artfair Hamburg. Phoenixhallen, Hamburg, Germany

         CALL: Stein In My Mind, Kunsthaus M1 Hohenlockstedt 

         Namaste - Kooperationen mit Max Frisinger, Galerie Katharina Bittel, Hamburg, Germany

         Just another magic monday touches the Realismus Ultra Gang, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg,
            Germany

         Petersburger Salon. BLAU zimmer fur kunst und andere, Hamburg, Germany

 2013 Girls can tell, GAK Bremen, Germany

         Trilateral Group Show Shanghai- Busan- Hamburg, Davon Art Space, Busan, Korea

         JCE Biennale ( Jeunesse Creation Europeenne), Montrouge, Paris, France

         Friends and Lovers: Trippy Hippy Pastorale, Schloss Kalsdorf/Ilz, Austria

         Beatitude, 59 Rivoli, Paris, France

         Error! Follow Eternity, Galerie Ephemer, Hamburg, Germany

         Systeme, Kunsthaus Sootborn, Hamburg, Germany

2012  Defile, Galerie Melike Bilir, Hamburg, Germany

         INDEX, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Germany

         DeadPoint, Galerie Oelfruh, Hamburg, Germany

         Megaron, Kunsthaus Jesteburg, Germany

         All my clean Friends and Lovers, message salon, Zurich, Switzerland

         Lamerika China Is Phoenix-Werke Harburg, Hamburg, Germany

         Betriebsausflug, Altes Kaufhaus Held, Leipzig, Germany

         ein tritt ein aus tritt aus, Galerie des Kunstlerhauses Lauenburg, Lauenburg/Elbe,Germany

         All my friends and lovers, Ausstellungsraum DARE, Hamburg, Germany

2011  Cherry Blossom Sale, Gallery A1, Hangzhou, China

         Sculptures for Roundabouts, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg, Germany

         Von den Dingen und zuruck, Sammlung Lenikus, Vienna, Austria

         Scherenschnitte, Ober Hafen Kantine, Hamburg, Germany

2010  Große Kunstausstellung, Munchen Haus der Kunst Munchen, Munchen, Germany

         Der bohemistische Leichnam, Museum Kunstverein Harburg, Hamburg, Germany

         Gib mir deine Hand, Galerie des Goldsmith College, London, Great Britain

         she loves you, Amersham Arms, London, Great Britain

2009  Krabben im Nebel, Kunstverein Ettlingen, Germany

         Das Portrait, Seismograph der Gesellschaft, Brot und Block Galerie Dzyga, Lviv, Ukraina

         Between Art and Ideas, MoAI, Galerie der HfBK Hamburg, Germany

         Projektraum POW, Hamburg, Germany

2008  Maximal Art, Galerie Linda, Hamburg, Germany

         Mofa, Kunsthaus Sootborn, Hamburg, Germany

         Kreuzwege-Lumen Christies, St. Kathrinenkirche Hamburg, Germany

2007  Oh wie schon ist Kroppelshagen, Hinterconti, Hamburg, Germany 

         Schute-Klub-Schule, Auf der Schute der Galerie fur Landschaftskunst, Hamburg, Germany

2005  Dieter Roth und Train, Listasafn Museum Reykjavikur, Reykjavik, Iceland

2004  Teilen was du weißt, Jugendwerkstatt Rosenallee, Hamburg, Germany

PUBLICATIONS

2014  GIRLS CAN TELL. Catalogue, belonging to: Exhibtion GIRLS CAN TELL, GAK Bremen.

         Textem Verlag, ISBN 978-453271-10-7.

         Statens 127. Kunstutstilling. Høstutstillingen 2014. Catalogue to the exhibition

         HØSTUTSTILLINGEN 2014. Norske Billedkunstnere (NBK).

         Notausgang am Horizont - Kunstfruhling 2014. Herausgeber BBK Bremen, ISBN

         978943971-12-5.

         2013 Trilateral Exhibition of Busan, Shanghai and Hamburg. Catalogue, belonging to the

         exhibition at Davin Art Space, Busan, South Korea. KNN (Korea New Network).

         Warum es Wusten gibt. Artist book, together with Marie Luise Birkholz. Graphic design:

         Christoph Steinegger. Textem Verlag, ISBN 978-653971-14-2.

         CALL. A zine on art and feminism, No.2. Eigenverlag/ Kulturbehorde Hamburg

         The Value of everything. P/art 2014. Catalogue to Artfair P/art. With Text by Pia

         Stadtbaumer. VILLA, 2014.

2013  CALL. A zine on art and feminism. Eigenverlag/ Kulturbehorde Hamburg

         NUGAE Solo publication, belonging to: Stipendium im Kunstlerhaus Sootborn.

2012  The truth about Norwegian Wood (Schrankbuch) Solo publication, belonging to: Arbeitsstipendium im   
Kunstlerhaus Lauenburg
"Wann ist etwas etwas und wann bleibt es nichts? Verena Issels kritisch-ironische Kunst des Hinterfragens 
und Umwertens". Izabela Dabrowska-Diemert in DARE, Magazin fur Kunst und Uberdies, # Apocalypse 
Green, Hsg. Isa Maschewski, ISBN 4191537412803.

2011  Scherenschnitte, Catalogue, belonging to: Gruppenausstellung „Scherenschnitte“ in der Oberhafenkantine,  
Hamburg

         Von den Dingen und zuruck, Catalogue, belonging to: Gruppenausstellung in der Sammlung Lenikus, Wien

2010   ArtBoy Calendar 2010, Textem Verlag, ISBN:978-3-938801-85-7

          Campanische Wandinschriften in: „Kultur und Gespenster, Heft Nr.10: Literarische

          Hermeneutik“ ISBN: 978-3-938801-73-4

          Krabben im Nebel, Catalogue, belonging to: Ausstellung mit der Klasse Stadtbaumer im

          Kunstverein Ettlingen

2009   Campanian Wall Inscriptions in „PROVENCE - An Eight Issue Magazine“, Material Verlag

ㅇ Works

Verena Issel

MSK Strømsnes, 2015

The artistic work of Verena Issel (b. 1982 in Munich, lives in Hamburg) is unusually diverse and precise.

This precision is rather not presented in a slightly argumentative way but with playful lightness and in colourful and formal opulence.

The thinking of Verena Issel is determined by a deep curiosity, which confronts Issel consistently with the unknown and discovers new areas.

You can see this easily in her biography, for example in the parallel studies of the at first sight antagonistic subjects Fine Arts and Classical Philology (Latin/Ancient Greek) ((and both with a degree)) or in longer periods studying and working in places like Lisbon, Hangzhou or recently Papua-Neuguinea.

This curiousity finds an artistic echo in her way of dealing with different forms - she does not only articulate herself in overboarding performances and Installations of varying sizes, or intimate drawings, colourful-quirky objects, videos and sculptures, but also conceptual work with humour: she published a calendar called "Art boy 2010" where she photographed twelve nude male art students.

This Pin-up-Calendar is full references towards art history.

Also she co-publishes the fanzine CALL, which focuses on feminist questions. CALL organises exhibitions, lectures, talks and publishes the magazine CALL.

The joy of unknown, new and manfold issues is manifestated especially in Issel own artistic theme, the transformation and reevaluation of every-day-materials, which she is studding in an associative way without becoming pathetic.

The objects' origin remains visible, but at the same time they develop a life of its own, which is independent from common definitions such as function, triviality or any form of precodification.

Verena Issel herself calls this process for "abstraction" vs. "empathy".

Characteristics such as material, surface, form, structure, colour and composition of objects and materials which are determined by their every-day-use are being questioned and put together in new constellations.

Constellations, which are flexible within themselves and which can be realised in a smaller or bigger scale, all depending on the different architectural environments.

Constellations which not necessarily have to be seen as single pieces, but which rely on each other, which interlock which each other and which enhance and augment each other.

There is a fine line between criticism and humour in Verena Issels work.

Her artistic strategy is based on a structural openness and the equality of form and content.

Whether it be the humorous and critical conversion of a sex-sells-policy into the ARTBOY-calendar (mentioned above) or the until now existing social reality of a male-dominated art world in "WOMENS CAREER", whether it be the metaphorical installation "A 1000s bowls stupidity" which is marked by blind alleys or the adaption of literature in TRISTES TROPIQUES by using the waste of our society full of consumption, Verena Issels interest in everyday life and it's structures, sequences and materials is part of her manfold investigation of fundamental systems of our society - the structures which form the organisations and realities of our society.