For what visitors see is a metaphor for the human dilemma: the functional and supportive competes with the flighty and unbound. Both series comprise a total of 47 framed, finely crafted oil paintings on canvas in various sizes. “Practically (im)possible” is the title of the exhibition, which can be seen until November 1 in the rooms of the “Art Lounge by KWS” on Tiedexer Straße in Einbeck.
Kati von Schwerin, born in 1983 in the Ruhr region, is a visual artist, musician/songwriter, and author. She lives and works in Leer, East Frisia. The artist studied painting (master student of Markus Lüpertz) and poetry (with Durs Grünbein) at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 2004 to 2010, as well as philosophy (B.A. and M.A.) and art history (B.A.) at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Humboldt University Berlin from 2009 to 2014. Kati von Schwerin has a long list of national and international exhibitions to her name and has also released three studio albums as a musician. From 2020 to 2022, she worked as a freelance writer for Titanic magazine and published her literary debut in 2023: “Berlin? Ja, wir hatten mal was” (Berlin? Yes, we had something), published by emons Verlag in Cologne.
“My art should push, wake up, and lovingly shout,” says Kati von Schwerin. She encourages change and transformation, hoping that her exhibitions will create experiences for each individual visitor. Everyone should constantly examine themselves, she says. The focus of Kati von Schwerin's artistic work is on breaking down and questioning habitual patterns of seeing and thinking. The familiar, the tried and tested, the things we use for orientation, are called into question. The artist leaves the beaten track and combines things in unconventional ways.
In the exhibition at the KWS Art Lounge, Kati von Schwerin chooses extreme contrasts: on the one hand, familiar, everyday devices; on the other, the alluring, freedom-seeking nature of birds. With one foot in the tried and tested, which provides security, and the other in the longing for something new. “There are people who prefer clear structures and others who desire freedom,” said Stephan Krings, Head of Global Marketing and Communications at KWS, at the opening. “It's simply an interesting contrast that we live with together.” The openness to both variants is also evident in the exhibition title “Praktisch un(d)möglich” (Practically (im)possible), which can be turned into the opposite statement by adding or omitting a single letter.
To the exhibition: Kati von Schwerin – Practically (im)possible
“The way in which two seemingly contradictory aspects are worked with here—nature in the sense of a bird and form in the sense of design—is a very human experience of the world around us,” said art historian Dr. Alexander Leinemann at the exhibition opening. “Art slows us down and leads us to forget the day and take on new perspectives, to look at the world outside of norms and ideals.” Kati von Schwerin makes an offer to viewers with her designer record players and razors as well as her bird portraits. Ornithologists and design enthusiasts will have a lot of fun with the works when they recognize the blue tits, seagulls, or black redstarts, or remember that they once owned a razor like that themselves. “When art makes us an offer, it moves along familiar paths, and we always look only for what we believe will give us an immediate answer to something.” But art must provoke and shake us up—and that is what Kati von Schwerin offers, said Leinemann.
The former art initiative NEWCOMER KWS Art Lounge is becoming the “Art Lounge by KWS” – a place where art comes to life in all its facets. With a new name and a fresh look, the gallery at Tiedexer Straße 20 is entering a new era. Three exhibition rooms showcase the works of both renowned artists and up-and-coming talents – from painting and photography to performance art. The KWS Art Lounge stands for openness, diversity, and encounter. The gallery offers a space where art is not only viewed, but also experienced and discussed. In addition to rotating exhibitions, there is a varied program of events: vernissages, guided tours, and after-work events invite visitors to exchange ideas with artists and open up new perspectives.
The gallery is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A catalog will also be published to accompany this exhibition. In addition to the usual opening hours, several special openings and guided tours are planned.
About KWS
KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development.
*excl. seasonal workforce
More informations: www.kws.com/corp/en. Follow us on LinkedIn: LinkedIn_KWS Group