Opening Reception: September 7th from 7 to 9pm
Kavi Gupta Gallery BERLIN is proud to present ‘’Elemente von M.’’, a solo exhibition of new painting, collage and sculpture by the artist Katrin Plavčak. ‘’Elemente von M.’’ reformulates many of Plavčak's political and social positions that have been at stake in her work over the past decade. Questioning the creation and negation of a distinction, or division, is the fulcrum of Elemente von M. While, the title’s enigmatic M. could easily be a sign for a number of words. However, one could suggest a word that represents them all, the german word for quantity - Menge - the self-contradicting singular word that represents itself and a multitude.
Central to "Elemente von M." are a selection of Plavčak’s collages of beasts of inter-species pollination, such as a bird-dog hybrid, an orchid with human eyes, or a woman with an owl’s face. As is recurring in Plavčak’s work, the subjects are often cast onto a stellar, interplanetary background. Also included are three new assemblage sculptures - an amphibious vehicle, a lizard, and a Chinese action-figure cyborg - as well as small musical table sculpture playing the Disney classic, ‘’It’s a small world’’. Throughout the exhibition Plavčak introduces elements of childish whimsy into concrete scenarios. Whether approached through the formalism of cutting and reassembling collages or Plavčak’s surreal subjects, who disregard the classical categories of subject and object, one is lead to a post-human position, where distinction, or difference is proffered as being outmoded and all matter is considered conscious and significant.
"Elemente from M." is on view at Kavi Gupta through October 27th.
Katrin Plavčak (b. 1970 in Guterslöh, DE) lives and works in Berlin. Plavčak has exhibited extensively throughout Europe. Some notable solo exhibitions over the past decade include ''Heavy Welt'' (2012) at Österreichisches Kulturforum in Prague, CZ, ''Unkonkrete Kunst'' (2010) at Galerie der Stadt in Salzburg, AT, ''Emma Peel in the RNA-World'' (2009) at Dispari e Dispari Project in Reggio Emilia, IT, ''Human Or Other'' (2009) at Wiener Secession in Vienna, and ''arme Farbe Blau'' (2000) at Sammlung Essl in Klosterneuberg, DE. Plavčak has also been included in numerous museum and kunsthalle group exhibitions, including ''Captain Pamphile'' (2011) at Sammlung Falckenberg in Hamburg, DE, ''Take Me To Your Leader'' (2010) at the National Museum Of Contemporary Art in Oslo, NO, and the Linz Triennale 1.O (2010) in Linz AT. Plavčak received her diplom in 1999 from the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna, studying under Sue Williams. Plavčak is represented in Vienna by Galerie Mezzanin.
