KIT

KIT Lilia Kovka David Kroell Juliane Tübke @heitberlin from April 22 - May 27, 2023 The exhibition KIT focuses on aspects of material transformation, absence of matter, surfaces, traces, and impressions. Lilia Kovka, David Kroell, and Juliane Tübke are united in both their working processes as well as by their common interest in materials and their inherent dynamics, which constantly and actively partake in the creation as well as destruction of their works. At the core of their works is the reciprocal relationship between space and object, a theme explored by the artists from different perspectives with the help of diverse aesthetic methods. In her sculptural works, Lilia Kovka reflects on the relationship between human beings and matter. Her latest series, STRESS, is an extensive exploration into the potential of clay as a medium. Consciously taking a significant step back from the creative process allows the material to take the lead, revealing its unique qualities. After firing, the finished ceramic pieces display traces of the stresses of past interactions. During the glazing process, the ceramics are fired at 1240 degrees, resulting in the preservation of cracks that run like a pencil line across the surface. In embracing these cracks, flaws and unevenness as “material memory,” Kovka allows the material to display its own formative potential. David Kroell’s consistently non-object sculptural practice brings to the focus of attention the invisible, the unseen and the unnoticed, pursuing the concept from the catalytic potential of space. The work BOHRUNG OHNE UMSCHLAG (Borehole Without Cover) sublimates an instance of intransigence into the sum of its past events, tracing a brick-red pigment through the space. In ERFURT, a machine-made canvas is transformed into Raufaser Tapete, a woodchip ingrained wallpaper familiar in Germany, whereby the canvas is stripped away and the frame is shredded into wood chip shavings. The intervention SELBSTHÄUTENDE WAND (Self-Skinning Wall) gradually peels off during the course of the exhibition and contextualizes time, transience, and process. Juliane Tübke's artistic practice focuses on the subtle traces of symbiosis that emerge between humans and their surrounding spaces. Her works delve into the material and immaterial residues generated by these interactions, fostering a deeper engagement with the specific locations from which they emerged. In her piece KIN (12099), Tübke displays imprints of found objects from the industrial area of Tempelhof-Ost on the floor. By employing experimental casting techniques, she allows the inherent material properties of these objects to dictate the texture and hue of each clay impression. The resulting installation resembles a painterly composition that imbues these once- discarded items with fresh aesthetic and symbolic significance.