Artists: Christiane Blattmann & Jannis Marwitz
Exhibition title: DIANANESS
Curated by: Oriane Durand and Carla Donauer
Venue: Le Berceau, Marseille, France
Date: August 28 – September 12, 2021
Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Le Berceau, Marseille
DIANANESS, an exhibition conceived in close cooperation between Christiane Blattmann (*Stuttgart 1983, lives and works in Brussels and Hamburg) and Jannis Marwitz (*Nürnberg 1985, lives and works in Brussels), opens on the last days of summer in a townhouse in Marseille. The joint invitation of hospitality, a nomadic exhibition project based in Cologne, and Le Berceau, a project space in Marseille, is grounded on the principles of spatial intimacy and cooperation.
The semi-private setting of the domestic environment and its specific implications mark the framework of the presentation of Christiane Blattmann’s sculptural works and Jannis Marwitz’ paintings. While Marwitz’ work invokes dense and intertwined architectural and mythological references, Blattmann’s sculptures sometimes show pictorial qualities. Blattmann’s filigree woven works can be seen as abstract spatial drawings, incorporating functional objects such as spears and ropes as well as an arsenal of floral and faunal allusions. Other pieces, such as her habitat sculptures, combine the shape of shoes with various types of architectural models.
The two artists developed the project from common interests in language, architecture, mythology and symbolism related to the animal world. These exchanges around their practice have led to the creation of new works, which for Marwitz combine painting, drawing and for the first time, sculpture. Blattmann, for her part, reacts on the in- and outside spaces of the venue. The combination of both their works result in surprising relations, but also discrete and more familiar discoveries. The title might give a slippery hint – it refers to both Princess Diana and the mythological goddess of the hunt.
Le Berceau is a temporary exhibition space in Marseille run by Oriane Durand, hospitality is initiated by Carla Donauer/ http://www.hsptlty.com / Instagram: @hospitality_project
