Category Archives: Photography

ACHTUNG: AUFNAHME! Neue Künstlerinnen der GEDOK Brandenburg 2024

I Could Not Find a Destination (Mixed Media auf Papier) wird unter anderem in der Ausstellung zu sehen sein. ©Imke Rust

In ihrem dreißigsten Jahr begrüßt die GEDOK Brandenburg fünf neue Künstlerinnen als Mitglieder. Vom 26.5.-30.6.2024 stellen Andrea Engelmann, Imke Rust, Asta Volkensfeld und Alexandra Weidmann in der Ausstellung „Achtung: Aufnahme! Neue Künstlerinnen der GEDOK Brandenburg 2024“ ihre Werke vor. Als Schriftstellerin ist Jutta Rosenkranz seit diesem Jahr neu im brandenburgischen Landesverband.

Zur Eröffnung am Sonntag, 26.5.2024 um 15 Uhr laden wir Sie, Ihre Freund*innen und Bekannten ganz herzlich ein.

Ich würde mich sehr freuen euch bei der Eröffnung (wieder) zu sehen.

Alternativ bin ich auch am Sonntag, den 16. Juni vor Ort in der Ausstellung, falls ihr nicht bei der Eröffnung dabei sein könnt und trotzdem Wert darauf legt, mit mir ins Gespräch zu kommen.

GEDOK e.V.
Gemeinschaft der Künstlerinnen und
Kunstfördernden, Gruppe Brandenburg
Seebadallee 45
D-15834 Rangsdorf
Fon 0049-33708-70733

Mobil 0049-163-2568234
www.gedok-brandenburg.de

Hier etwas Info zu meinen Arbeiten, die in der Ausstellung gezeigt werden:

Geboren und aufgewachsen in Namibia, lebt die multidisziplinäre Künstlerin Imke Rust seit zehn Jahren in Oberhavel, Brandenburg.

In ihrer Arbeit erforscht sie die subtilen Verbindungen zwischen Innen- und Außenwelt, zwischen Mensch, Natur und Kulturen, um ein tieferes Verständnis für die menschliche Rolle in der Welt zu entwickeln. Durch den Einsatz von Linien, Formen, Figuren sowie verschiedenen Materialien und Techniken ertastet und untersucht sie diese Verbindungen und Ahnungen. Ziel ist es, die Herausforderungen der Menschheit besser zu verstehen und unsere Wahrnehmung als integralen Teil der Natur zu schärfen. Ihre multikulturelle Identität spielt dabei eine zentrale Rolle.

Die hier gezeigten Arbeiten bestehen hauptsächlich aus zwei größeren Werkserien: der “Roots & Branches”-Serie und den Werken, die aus ihrer mehrjährigen Forschung zu Termiten entstanden sind. In der “Roots & Branches”-Serie setzt sie sich mit dem Konzept von Verwurzelung und Wachstum auseinander, indem sie natürliche Materialien und Symboliken verwendet, um die Verbindung zwischen Mensch und Natur darzustellen. Ihre Forschung zu Termiten beleuchtet die komplexen sozialen Strukturen dieser Insekten und welche Lehren wir daraus ableiten können, was sie in ihren Werken durch detailreiche Darstellungen und innovative Techniken thematisiert.

Diese Ausstellung bietet zudem einen kleinen Einblick in ihr vielseitiges Oeuvre, das von traditioneller Zeichnung über Mischtechniken, Fotografie und Installationen bis hin zu Performance- und Videoarbeiten reicht. Besondere Beachtung verdienen ihre Arbeiten mit natürlichen Pigmenten und Materialien, die sie zum Teil aus ihrer Heimat Namibia mitbringt oder vor Ort findet, sowie ihre experimentellen Ansätze, die oft partizipatorische Elemente und ortsspezifische Installationen umfassen.

Ich freue mich auf euern Besuch der Ausstellung, wo ihr neben meiner auch noch die tollen Arbeiten von Asta Volkensfeld, Andrea Engelmann und Alexandra Weidmann bewundern könnt!

Erinnerung: Führung durch die Ausstellung & Film am 24.11.23

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Wir laden herzlich ein zur Filmvorführung des preisgekröntem Film:

An Infinite Scream (45min, Deutsch)

von Steffen Holzkamp über Imke Rusts Land Art Projekte in Namibia

Am Freitag, den 24.11.23 um 19Uhr
in der Klosterscheune Zehdenick
Domänenweg 1, 16792 Zehdenick

Künstlerin und Filmemacher sind anwesend und laden im Anschluss zur Diskussion und Führung der Ausstellung ein.

Durch den Film lernt man Imke Rusts Arbeits- und Denkweise kennen. Man bekommt eine Einsicht in ihre ortsbezogene Arbeiten in der grandiosen namibischen Landschaft.

Die Ausstellung ist ein weiteres Zeugnis von Rusts tiefer Verbindung zur namibischen Natur und ihrem Wunsch die Zusammenhänge zu verstehen und sichtbar zu machen, in diesem Fall durch prozess-orientierte Arbeiten und künstlerisch-kreativen Forschungsansätzen.

Imke Rust führt im Anschluss zum Film durch die Ausstellung um einen tieferen Einblick in ihre Materialwahl, Vorgehensweise und Gedanken zu den Arbeiten zu geben. Dabei teilt sie ihr spannendes Wissen über afrikansiche Mythologie, wissenschaftliche Erkenntnissen zu Termiten und ihrem eigenen persönlichen Dialog mit diesen fazinierenden Wesen.

Wir freuen uns auf euch!

Die Ausstellung zeigt Textilarbeiten, Mixed-Media Collagen, Zeichnungen, Videos und Fotografien.
Dauer der Ausstellung: 12.11.23 – 25.2.24
Öffnungszeiten: Mi – So und an Feiertagen von 13 – 17 Uhr

Trailer vom Film:

Synopsis des Films:

In der prallen Wüstensonne über 1000 Weißdornen zu Kreisen legen? Schwarze Müllsackrosen in die Sanddünen pflanzen? Oder eine halbe Tonne Salz zu einer begehbaren Skulptur formen?

Die Landart Installationen der Namibischen Künstlerin Imke Rust folgen einem immanenten Anliegen: Der Sorge über den zunehmenden Uranabbau in Namibia und der Verschandelung der Wüste. Ihre Kunstwerke sorgen für Aufmerksamkeit, verstehen sich aber auch als ein symbolischer Schutz für das geschundene Land.

Kann Kunst etwas bewirken? Was kann ich tun? Mit diesen Fragen beschäftigt sich Imke Rust auf eindringliche Weise.

In 2012 in Namibia und Berlin gedreht, spiegelt der Film die teils meditative Stimmung der Entstehung von Rust’s Landart. Ruhige Einstellungen bei der Installation der „Salt Circles“ oder reportagige Handkamera bei der Videoperformance „The Scream“ auf der Seebrücke am Atlankik: Schnitt und Montage folgen dem Tempo der Kunst.

Die Absage der gebuchten Rust-Ausstellung seitens der Kunstvereinigung bringt dem Film eine dramaturgische Wendung und verlagert den Schwerpunkt hin zu einer gesellschaftlichen und medialen Kontroverse über die „Freiheit der Kunst“ in Namibia.

So organisiert sich die bekannte Künstlerin mit Hilfe durch ein Netzwerk von Unterstützern ihre Ausstellung einfach selbst.

Starke Bilder an atemberaubenden Orten, sowie Illustrationen und Musik verdichten den Film zu einem eindrucksvollen Statement für Courage und Eigeninitiative im eher konservativen Namibia.

Die Filmarbeit in Namibia wurde teilweise vom National Arts Council of Namibia unterstützt.

Lost City (Site-responsive artwork at the Rössing Mountain)

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Start where you are and with what you have…

I love to go out and create art with only the things the site offeres to me. No special tools, no extra material – just responding to the site and conditions I find.

When we went to explore the barren Rössing mountain I found some building rubble. To my surprise it even had some colour on it… And so this work was created with the generous and unexpected colourful offerings of the Rössing mountain.

It was really hot, as usual, in the desert. The pieces of rubble were rough, heavy and hot. And many were full of sand, which needed to be removed to show the colour. At several times I thought “Ok, that’s it, that’s enough… I am done, let’s go rather home.”.

I should have brought some gloves… – somehow I never do, and if I do, I hate wearing them. And we should have come here closer to the sun-setting, when it has cooled down – I am not sure why I forgot about this essential point?

In the end there were more and more colourful pieces which I just had to add. My hands were blistered ands scratched, but I was happy and grateful for these fragments of colour in an otherwise pretty desolate surrounding.

Here is a short video, where you can see it all happening:

And once again, I cannot tell you how cool it is that my husband enjoys joining me in my art outings and filming the process. Now that he also owns a small drone, there is another cool perspective in his short videos. This one is a bit longer (2:50min) but the landscape is so breathtaking and unique, that I think you will not mind watching it till the end. His video work and audio is a beautiful artwork in its own right.

Between all the rubble I found one piece of broken, delicate china. Although it did not really fit with the rest, I just had to give it a space in this abstract city.

I hope you enjoy these images and the video as much as I do!

Sand Stone Shadow Waves (Namib Desert)

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We have spent some time in Namibia and worked on some creative projects. It was lovely to be back in the desert. The desert feels like home to me. There is a special connection, which I just cannot put into words.

This is one of the first works I created in the Namib desert, in the dune belt south of Swakopmund.

Fortunatley my husband loves to join me in the desert and with my creative projects. He enjoys to document my process, and then editing it into beautiful little artvideos and composing the music for it. These videos bring a new dimension to my work. It also shows the beautiful landscape in a new perspective and puts my work in scale and relation to the surroundings.

Some more images:

Creative Encounters

And while working I had a lovely and curious visitor. This little guy hopped along very closely as I collected the stones without a sign of fear. He seemed to just enjoy the activity and maybe the company. I thought of offering him some water in the shade which the car gave (the only shade wide and far). He accepted and some time later another little friend came to join him. I just love these unexpected moments of deep connection with nature.

Bird checking out my creative experiments.

The Comfort of a Couch (Fun Art)

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Finally I can move my work space out of our living room and into the new renovated garage / studio space.

Suddenly we have space in the living room and are now looking for a nice couch which can double up as a guest bed. Ideally a couch needs to look good, be practical and it definitely needs to be ultra comfortable…

This morning when I started working and was looking for some images, I came across a spontaneous and fun ‘preformed photography action’* I did some time ago in a holiday flat, and decided to turn the photographs into a GIF (moving image).

Couch Testing by Imke Rust

Wishing you all a wonderful and comfortable day!

* Sometimes it is difficult to perfectly describe my art. I hope this term comes close, but am not sure. Often I do a performance kind of work, but without an audience. I document it through photographs or video. Yet the action is the central part and the photography just a way to share it with you. So it is neither pure photography, nor a performance in its original definition.

Impressions from my visit to Dnipropetrovsk

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The poster announcing our event.

Dnipropetrovsk. I practiced very long and often to say it correctly and still I stumble over it. Since November last year, when Artsvit Gallery‘s curator, Ms Iryna Polikarchuk, approached me with the idea to visit this beautiful city and share my art and curatorial approach with them, Dnipropetrovsk has been a phrase set on repeat in my head.

Lots of planning and ideas were sent between us, until I finally could board the plane and fly to the Ukraine again, on the invitation of the Artsvit Gallery and the German Consulate in Donesk, who are currently located in Dnipropetrovsk. On the first evening I was joined by a wonderful and inspirational colleagues Ms Sabina Shikilinskaya (Azerbaijan) and Nikita Shalenny (Ukraine) for an introduction on our art and curatorial practice and public discussion afterwards. Additionally the visiting artists each had one evening to give an in-depth presentation about our art. All three events were received by much public interest and a packed audience.

During the days we also had a full program, organized by the gallery. Another main part of my visit was to meet with the German General Consul, Mr Mössinger and representatives of the city and gallery, to finalize details for a public installation of my art planned to be installed in a park in Dnipropetrovsk later this year. I am very exited about these plans, but will share more with you about this, closer to the time.

Following is a selection of impressions from my visit. I hope you enjoy them. (Click on the images to see a larger view and description.)

The gallery

Location scouting and discussion with the German General Consul Mr Mössinger, the city architect Mr Volik, Mr Bazarenko (architect) and representatives from the gallery. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Location scouting and discussion with the German General Consul Mr Mössinger, the city architect Mr Volik, Mr Bazarenko (architect) and representatives from the gallery

Ancient Baba sculptures in front of the museum. Baba refers to grandmother.

View facing my hotel

View out of my hotel room

The biggest Jewish centre in the world.

Overlooking Dnipropetovsk

Photo by Artsvit Gallery

With Sasha Bondarchuk,Iryna Polikarchuk and Sabina Shikilinskaja.

With Iryna Polikarchuk and Sabina Shikilinskaja. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Large shopping mall

Beautiful, but derelict old buildings

Close to the German consulate

Streetview

Street dog with tiny houses

Inside the Artsvit gallery

Evening presentations – Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Introducing myself. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Public discussion on our art practices. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Listening to my colleagues as part of the audience. Olga Tregubova translated for me. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Presenting my art and film on Friday night. With Iryna Polikarchuk and the translator, Olga Tregubova.Photo by Artsvit Gallery

View from the audience. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Press conference at the press centre. Photo by Artsvit Gallery

Visit to the Interpipe Steel factory, which has several commissioned artworks by Olafur Eliasson. This mural is one of them.

Visit to the Interpipe Steel factory, which has several commissioned artworks by Olafur Eliasson.

Visit to the Interpipe Steel factory, which has several commissioned artworks by Olafur Eliasson. The yellow sphere in the background is the up-coming sun, by Olafur Eliasson.

Visit to the Interpipe Steel factory, which has several commissioned artworks by Olafur Eliasson.

loved the colours and graphics of this view.

A board explaining the next artwork.

Inside ‘Your Thinking Bridge’ by Olafur Eliasson.

A selfie with the amazing Iryna Polikarchuk who has initiated and organized this whole event.

Playing with my Heart

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It is International Women’s Day and to celebrate this I have created my very first ever animated GIF and will share it with you today.

A GIF is a graphic format, which I would explain as a kind of moving picture. These formats seem to become ever more popular on the internet and I can understand why. Instead of having just one image, you have kind of a moving gesture, usually composed of a few still images.

And so, without further ado, here it is:

Playing with my Heart, an animated GIF by Imke Rust

I hope you enjoy it!

Sensational Find: Rock Art on German Streets

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Who would have thought that Germany has so many unnoticed, secret treasures? So far I have only seen the rock paintings and engravings in secluded rocky mountains in Namibia. So this is a first for me…

I was so excited to find well-preserved rock art right under my bicycle’s wheels!

It seems these amazing petrographs (Images drawn or painted on rock face) tell stories of a life long past, of strange animals that have walked this part of the earth and the humans that have shared their existence.

These very expressive, graphic pictograms reveal a great craftmanship, fluid line control and the ability to paint the soul of the being with only a few lines. But what do they represent? Why have these images of animals and humans been drawn right here on these cycling paths?

Since we know that some of the animals represented in these petrographs, like the Decimpedi dinosaur (a longish dinosaur with 10 legs), have long died out, we can assume that these images are really, really ancient.

And by the way, this is not my own art, just something I found and thought interesting enough to share with you!

Click on the images to see a detailed larger view.

Decempedi Dinosaur Ancient Animal Petrograph photographed by Imke Rust

Ancient Animal Petrograph photographed by Imke Rust

Ancient Animal Petrograph, photographed by Imke Rust

Ancient Animal Petrograph photographed by Imke Rust

Ancient Human Petrograph photographed by Imke Rust

(Found close to Ahrenshoop in August 2015)

What you missed last weekend (but can still sign up for in the future)

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Yes, you missed an awesome sunny Saturday spent in the forest in a relaxed atmosphere, learning and creating together at the Land Art workshop I presented.

After a short introduction to the ideas and possibilities of land or nature art, we set out on the short walk to the forest. The area offers a wide variety of different backgrounds and possibilities, ideal for each to find their best mode of expression. There is a small open birch forest, a dense coniferous forest, a meadow and the Havel river…

We had time to get to know the area, the materials available and then experiment with own works. The exchange between the different members of the group brought further ideas and inspiration and lots of laughter, but also serious discussions.

“What a wonderful way to spend the day! I could feel how the stress of the week quickly left my body and I began relaxing into my surroundings. It was great to have no pressure of having to perform, but to be able to experiment and create to my hearts desire. Thank you, Imke.” Ilona.

If you would like to participate at one of our future one-day workshops, which will be presented on a monthly basis, please send me an email, so that I can keep you updated about future dates and send you all other information needed. I am also happy to create tailor-made workshops according to your wishes, for that extra special private birthday party, company outings, a fun family breakaway, etc.

Please email me at: imkerust(a)iway.na (replace the (a) with an @ when sending).

Further information about the workshops can be found HERE. (The information is only available in German at the moment, but I am happy to offer the workshops in English too. Please request the English information sheet directly from me.)

Since pictures say more than a thousand words, I will not write further and rather share some pictures of the workshop with you (click on the images for a full-view slide show):

Interacting with her artwork

Making a crop circle through rolling his body in the field

Charcoal circles on birch tree

Some works are better viewed from a ladder…

Working in a shady spot.

braiding fresh green grass

Plaited grass and flowers

Explaning and discussing ideas

Balls of grass

Taking a break

Spiral from pine cones

Philosophical world

Completed work

Helping each other

Viewing of an artwork from different positions.

Material collection

Catching the bull by its horns… after having created it from grass and wood.

Construction work

Large grass spheres made to hang in dry branches

Example of an older work

Making a circle through walking.

Discussing the works

Working in the open and sunny plain

Contemplating the next step

Unseen Dialog

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When earth is thinking…
Photograph, tippex and scratch marks, 15 x 10cm

Recently I bought a beautiful book about the artist Ana Mendieta. Most people have never heard about her. And people who have heard about her, usually only know or have access to a small portion of her art.

“Ana Mendieta (November 18, 1948 – September 8, 1985) was a Cuban American performance artist, sculptor, painter and video artist who is best known for her “earth-body” art work. Originally born in Havana, Mendieta arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1961, shortly prior to the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.”

The book is entitled Unseen Mendieta and tries to give an insight into her creative output during her short live, which came to an abrupt end when she fell from her 34th floor apartment window after a row with her husband.

Several weeks after placing the order the book arrived by snail-mail in a blue postal bag. I was so excited!

Although she produced many ground-breaking, interesting and amazing works, most of it had never been exhibited before her death and has left her family with the huge task of researching the work and try to decide what to make available to the public and in what form. A daunting task.

I am sharing this with you, as it made me think about my own work, and how many of my artworks or creative outpourings will probably never make it into a gallery or a publication. And I am not sure if anybody will care (or have the time and nerve) to comb through my computer and other documentation and artworks, and then decide which is worth to keep and to share. It is a task that even I would find too daunting.

I had to search through my old folders for some specific works which have been requested for a publication and realised that I have accumulated so much work, that I need to find a better system of storing and finding it again. If that is possible…

When airplanes leave secret signs in the sky… (Photograph and scratched text, 10x15cm)

Fortunately today we have the internet and can share many works without ever officially exhibiting them. And people can see art they like, at their own convenience. No need to travel to visit a gallery to see an artist’s work from another continent. No need to stick to opening times of a gallery.

And today’s world also makes it possible to share the ‘little works’. The ones which happen in between, which are fun, creative, curious, etc. but which do not amount to a serious body of work ready for a gallery show. When I searched for my other artworks, I stumbled across some of these, and thought: they put a smile on my face every time I see them.

They make me feel alive and creative, in a different way than the more formal artworks.

Small Accidents happen and turn into tiny, fun artworks. (home printed images with water spilled onto them by accident, deliberate felt pen markings added) about 5x5cm

Small Accidents happen and turn into tiny, fun artworks. (home printed images with water spilled onto them after accidentially finding out what cool effect that has) about 5x7cm

Small Accidents happen and turn into tiny, fun artworks. (home printed images with water spilled onto them after accidentally finding out what cool effect that has) about 5x7cm

I decided to share some of them with you, so that they get noticed by a few people, if only for a few seconds, possibly maybe gifting you with a smile or a short moment of curiosity before they return to their secret and forgotten virtual life.