FLINTA* Showcase

OVERVIEW

DATE05.10.22 - 06.10.22

LOCATIONPaloma Bar, Berlin, Germany

CURATORBLVSH

ABOUT

BLVSH and CULTURE ROOM are pleased to present 13 artistic positions in the fields of painting, photography, and sculpture at Paloma Bar at Kottbusser Tor. In an art and cultural scene still dominated by men, the diverse (artistic) perspectives of FLINTA* (Female, Lesbian, Inter, Non-binary, Trans, Genderqueer and Agender) individuals remain largely underrepresented. Although the FLINTA* movement has been active since the 1990s in advocating for the rights and recognition of these groups, even today we continue to witness a lack of acceptance, disadvantages, and discrimination against these individuals and their ideas or concepts — including within the cultural sector. From this starting point, the curatorial foundation of this exhibition is built on the conviction that art, in all its forms and manifestations, holds the potential to process important political and social currents across the most diverse media and thereby advance significant societal issues. The art and cultural scene, in particular, can no longer be conceived or understood without the diverse and exciting perspectives of FLINTA* individuals. In this case, art does not present itself as an end in itself, but rather as a catalyst for long-overdue societal rethinking. This event therefore aims to increase awareness of FLINTA* perspectives, to present their works in a space as safe as possible, to listen to the voices of the artists, and to perceive their ideas and concepts without prejudice. In line with the motto of the BLVSH collective, this event focuses on promoting the visibility of women, trans, and non-binary people and their flourishing within a cultural scene still dominated by men. In addition to the artistic positions, musicians and DJs belonging to the FLINTA* community will provide a musical program during exhibition hours as well as at the afterparty on 6 October, 2022. BLVSH means to flourish, to bloom, to come to life. The Berlin-based DJ collective was founded to showcase, support, and promote new FLINTA* talents. Its goal is to increase the visibility of women, trans, and non-binary people and foster their flourishing within a clubbing scene that is still dominated by men. As a DJ/producer collective, the BLVSH crew is available for DJ gigs, live performances, and panel discussions.

OVERVIEW

Pia Fleckenstein

Pia Fleckenstein studied at the Faculty of Design in Würzburg and now lives and works in Hamburg. Her artistic practice focuses on steel sculptures and large acrylic paintings on wood. Since 2021, she has also been collaborating with Niki Fleckenstein on the art project Salon Walter, through which her paintings are exhibited along waterways. At the core of her work is an exploration of color, form, and their mutual dissolution. She is particularly interested in the anatomy of the female body and its interaction with the surrounding environment. Through fluid transitions between organisms, her paintings depict processes of transformation in which contours merge and boundaries between spaces, figures, and meanings dissolve. Her compositions often develop into dividual portraits made up of human, plant, and animal fragments. Pictorial planes intertwine into flowing tissues, where everything reaches the surface and becomes a kind of epidermis — a homogeneous skin-like layer. Individual figures lose their distinct identity, turning into fleeting impressions and elements of a larger mosaic. In this way, Fleckenstein’s work searches for the divine within transformation and interconnectedness.

Lucia Jost

Lucia Jost is a portrait and reportage photographer, born in Berlin in 1998, where she continues to live and work today. Her photographic practice is shaped by analogue processes and a distinctly female gaze in storytelling. Through an intimate visual language, she explores themes of womanhood, the city of Berlin, and the experiences of her generation. After completing her degree in photography at the Lette Verein Berlin in the summer of 2022, she began working as a freelance photographer, with a particular focus on artist portraits and independent serial work informed by a feminist approach. In her long-term project "TÖCHTER DER HAUPTSTADT" she deals with the women of her generation. In a collection of portraits she shows the viewer different facets of femininity and deals with themes such as friendship, motherhood, sexuality and emancipation, as well as the connection between women and the big city. TÖCHTER DER HAUPTSTADT is a homage to the Berlin woman of today... Her work has been featured in renowned publications and collaborations including Vogue Germany, DAZED, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DER SPIEGEL, PhotoVOGUE, ZEIT Online, DER STERN, Tagesspiegel, PH Museum, DER GREIF, Berliner Zeitung, Missy Magazine and Vice International, among others.

Olivia Waligora

Olivia Waligora (known as “Lilemi2”) is a Polish/Norwegian artist, who currently works and lives in Berlin. Her passion is still and motion pictures, with a focus on the person and the story behind them. For her, the face, the body and the emotions of the main character are most captivating and fascinating. Her photographic style is characterised by strong contrasts, low light and dark aesthetics with a cinematic touch. The motifs in her images are often dynamic and give the impression of stills from a movie scene. This creates a fuller story around her body of work and evokes more emotions and imagination in the viewer. Her short films focus on internal struggles and expressing emotions, while still maintaining a strong aesthetic appeal. Her work portrays the result of a distinct imagination with a mystical feel. Motion and transfiguration are key to her work. Her biggest motivation to create is the need for escapism from the melancholy of day to day life. Her surreal works create a unique and often eerie mood, toying with the audience’s experience of the visuals and audio, and at times inviting them to empathise with the discomfort or anxiety of the main character.