Category Archives: Berlin

Upcoming Exhibits 2019

At the time of writing (January 10, 2019) I have no exhibitions planned for 2019.

I am focusing on evolving my practice and developing an interdisciplinary project, the details of the project are below. We are hoping to exhibit the project during 2020, when I plan to have a full schedule of exhibitions again.

TRUST THE PROCESS
An Interdisciplinary Art Project

Stephanie Barnes, an artist from Toronto (Canada), paints so that the eye can see what the inner eye knows. She paints because there is a deep desire for her to give expression to the things she doesn’t have words for. Painting has given her an opportunity to share feelings in a way not previously available to her.

Johanna von Kuczkowski, musicologist, singer and double bassist from Berlin, sings to tell stories of life that could not be told without notes or sounds.

Both women share the story of self-liberation as a second career as artists and therefore a special perspective on the various and often unnamed dimensions of life.

In TRUST THE PROCESS Stephanie Barnes and Johanna von Kuczkowski combine their art forms in order to create a new access point into their artworks and to your own way of perception.

What happens if a painting suddenly has words? What, if a song has colours?
What access to myself opens up, which was previously locked up?

TRUST THE PROCESS – VERTRAUE DEM PROZESS!

Based on interviews with Stephanie Barnes, Johanna von Kuczkowski wrote songs that are grounded in the words of the painter and her works, however, broadened by her own perspective by the means of music.

This way an insistent, interdisciplinary expansive work of art was created. The artwork explores the disturbing range of emotions in times of transition along with the paintings of Stephanie Barnes, emotions of: uncertainty, exhaustion and rejection, the feeling of not wanting to continue, having to wait or wanting to wait as well as the almost impossible feeling of opening up for real and making oneself visible and with that vulnerable.

Stephanie Barnes & Johanna von Kuczkowski, Jan 2019

Transitions Exhibition

Information about my exhibition at l’Atelier Galerie & Café (Heinersdorferstr. 34, 13086 Weissensee) (Deutsch unten):

The pieces on exhibit are transitional works that were painted in between two of my series: Pieces of my Heart, and my current series-in-progress, Opening Up. Because these are transitional paintings, they explored feelings of uncertainty and exhaustion, and not wanting to continue, while also knowing that, of course, one must continue.

Johanna von Kuczkowski, singer and double bassist from Berlin, shares Stephanie Barnes’ story of following the inner call to be an artist as a second career. She has composed several songs especially for this exhibition. The songs are based on her conversations with the painter, Stephanie Barnes, and her own interpretation of the paintings on display. She will play them during the vernissage and finissage. Additionally, they will be recorded and will be played in the l’Atelier Galerie & Café during the month-long exhibition.

Vernissage: Saturday, November 10th, 2018 from 5pm until 8pm at l’Atelier Galerie & Café (Heinersdorferstr. 34, 13086 Weissensee)

Finissage: Saturday, December 8th, 2018 from 5pm until 8pm at l’Atelier Galerie & Café (Heinersdorferstr. 34, 13086 Weissensee)

Deutsch:

Die Werke in dieser Ausstellung sind Übergangswerke, die zwischen zwei Serien von Stephanie Barnes entstanden: zwischen Pieces of my Heart und ihrer aktuellen, noch im Prozess befindlichen Serie Opening Up. In ihrem Übergangscharakter erforschen diese Bilder die Gefühle von Unsicherheit und Erschöpfung, dem Gefühl, aufgeben zu wollen und zu wissen, dass man -natürlich- weitermachen muss.

Johanna von Kuczkowski, Sängerin und Kontrabassistin ausBerlin, teilt Stephanie Barnes Weg, dem inneren Ruf zu folgen und eineZweit-Karriere als Künstlerin zu verwirklichen. Sie hat speziell für diese Ausstellung einige Stückekomponiert, die auf Gesprächen mit der Malerin Stephanie Barnes sowie auf ihrereigenen Interpretation der Ausstellungsstücke basieren. Sie wird diese Stückewährend der Vernissage und der Finissage live aufführen. Zusätzlich werdendiese Stücke aufgenommen und während der einmonatigen Ausstellungsphase iml’Atelier Galerie & Café zu hören sein.

Vernissage: Samstag, November 10. 2018 von 17:00 bis 20:00 im l’Atelier Galerie & Café (Heinersdorferstr. 34, 13086 Weissensee)

Finissage: Samstag, Dezember 8. 2018 von 17:00 bis 20:00 im l’Atelier Galerie & Café (Heinersdorferstr. 34, 13086 Weissensee)

The Confusion of Falling Slowly #2 (2017), 100cm x 120cm, acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Finally, here is a video of Johanna singing one of the songs she wrote for the exhibition https://youtu.be/pXgLA0NhdMI

Information from Feelings #5

For the exhibition that just finished on August 31, 2018 at Private Office, I had prepared some narratives for each of the 3 main themes that were on exhibition. I thought I would share them here, for those of you who weren’t able to come to the exhibition.

Also, there are some pictures over on my Instagram account, also in case you couldn’t make it.

Opening Up
The Masks we Hide Behind
The Same but Different

Feelings, #5

This is my 5th exhibit in Berlin since September 2017.
 
Is there new stuff, that you haven’t seen before?
 
Yes, I have been painting, and continuing to evolve my practice and the expression of my inner-self through painting.
 
I continue to explore thoughts and emotions, in particular several pieces (5) from my in-progress series, “Opening Up” will be on display. These paintings explore the idea of sharing ourselves with the outside world, and what happens when we decide being that vulnerable isn’t worth the risk and we pull back into our shell.

All the works on display are works I have completed in Berlin.

The exhibit takes place from July 6th until August 31st at:
Private Office 
Marburger Straße 2,10789 Berlin

The vernissage is July 6th from 18:00 to 21:00 and the finissage is August 30 from 18:00 to 21:00

 I look forward to seeing you there. If you are unable to attend the vernissage or finisage please let me know and I can arrange a private viewing.

Update on Brotfabrik Exhibition (March 17, 2018)

Now that my exhibition at Brotfabrik has finished its second week and entered into its third, I thought I would share some of what’s happened and what’s coming up.

One of the gallerists at Brotfabrik has written several blog posts about the opening and my paintings, you can find them here:

1. On the opening: http://volwi-ein.blogspot.de/2018/03/stephanie-barnes-ronny-johne-going-with.html
2. The large piece that hangs in the first room: http://volwi-ein.blogspot.de/2018/03/gedanken-zum-bild-stephanie-barnes.html
3. Joy #4: http://volwi-ein.blogspot.de/2018/03/gedanken-zum-bild-joy-4-stephanie-barnes.html

I am doing a workshop on March 31 at the gallery from 13:00 until 18:00. The theme will be Resilience, and I will lead you through an interactive workshop exploring different artistic mediums and methods and how you can become the artist of your own life. Bringing artistic activities into your life can help you to be more resilient, curious, and help you to reduce stress. Come and explore and find out how. You can come for an hour or two, or hang-out for the whole afternoon, it’s up to you. If you’re on Facebook you can see details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2034316343494347/ and if you’re not on Facebook there is information on the Brotfabrik page http://brotfabrik-berlin.de/event/stephanie-barnes-ronny-johne-going-with-the-flow/2018-03-17/, but basically just show-up ready to paint/draw and explore.

I will also do an artist talk at the finissage on April 15 at 16:00. I am hoping to prepare some of it in German, so come out and see how I do. 🙂

Finally, if you’re wondering if it’s worth coming out to see the exhibition, I can tell you that there are some things installed that were not at the “Ich muss gehen” event in January or other exhibitions I have done in Berlin. Additionally, the first piece in a new series that I have just started is hanging at the gallery, it’s called, “Opening Up #1”. The series deals with how we open ourselves up to people, only to get frightened and retreat again. It has elements of the “Masks we hide behind” series and other themes I’ve dealt with, but adds some new components; I’m excited for you to see it, so I hope you’ll stop by the gallery and check it out. The gallery is open daily from 16:00 until 20:00.

That’s all for now, I hope to see you at the workshop or the Finissage.

Brotfabrik Vernissage, March 2, 2018

Info about my vernissage at Brotfabrik on March 2, 2018, 19:00 until 23:00.  You can also find info on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/events/1707791832607324/

Info on the Brotfabrik page about my exhibition: http://brotfabrik-berlin.de/event/stephanie-barnes-ronny-johne-going-with-the-flow/2018-03-02/

Upcoming exhibitions 2018

Exhibit schedule for 2018

Start date End date Location Exhibit theme
Vernissage:
July 6th, 2018
18:00 – 21:00
Finissage:
August 30, 2018
18:00 – 21:00
 Private Office
http://private-office-berlin.de/ Marburger Straße 2, 10789 Berlin
Feelings, #5

 

November 10, 2018 December 8, 2018 L’ATELIER Galerie-Café, Berlin
https://www.facebook.com/latelier.berlin/
 This is now

 

Upcoming exhibitions 2017-2018

 

Start date End date Location Exhibit theme
September 15, 2017 Finissage: September 23, 2017 Atelier Café, Weißensee

https://fr.tripadvisor.ch/Restaurant_Review-g187323-d12474603-Reviews-L_Atelier_Galerie_Cafe-Berlin.html

Joy, Chaos

 

October 27, 2017 December 7, 2017 Tuesday Coworking https://www.tuesdaycoworking.com/ Masks we hide behind
January 21, 2018  January 21, 2018 HvH Coaching-Etage
Akazienstraße 28
Im Akazienhof links 2 OG
10823 Berlin
Paintings and Poetry
March 2, 2018 April 15, 2018 Brotfabrik, Weißensee

http://brotfabrik-berlin.de/

Pieces of my Heart, The same but different, Rejection
July 2018 September 2018 Private Office

http://private-office-berlin.de/

tbd

 

The Joy of Going with the Flow at l’Atelier Galerie & Cafe

This is the first of several exhibits Stephanie will do over the course of the next year. Each exhibit will explore different themes from her work over the last six years. This one starts with her earlier paintings and explores the themes of Joy and Going with the Flow.

Details of this exhibit in September are as follows:
Location: KunstGalerie Cafe, Heinersdorferstraße 34, 13086 Berlin
Vernissage: September 16, 2017, 5pm – 8pm
Finissage: September 23, 2017 at 5pm – 8pm

Facebook event links:
Vernissage
Finissage

Passage through the Opposites: Stephanie Barnes’ Reconciliation Painting

The following essay was written about my art by an art critic who reviewed my work here in Berlin. The critic wishes to remain anonymous.

Whole.

I long to be heard.

Words and pictures; not words or pictures.

I long to be whole, not half.

My struggle is to be…

Whole. 

                        –Stephanie Barnes

In 2014, the year that Germany celebrated its 25th anniversary of reconciliation, Stephanie Barnes knew in a single instant that she was going to move to Berlin. In this AHA moment, she was united between her fated pathways of opposites, as a twin born under the sign of Gemini, seeking reconciliation in her art.

“In December, it was a feeling of being home, even though I was standing in a kitchen filled with someone else’s belongings, and only two suitcases of my own with me,” she recalls of her visit to Berlin, just a month after the reconciliation celebration. “The other moment, in February 2015, it was feeling homesick for Berlin after being away for 2 days, on a 16-day business trip.”

The artist being at home in a city representing division and reconciliation for the world comes with a feeling of wholeness and integration. Barnes sees a parallel between her emotions expressed in painting and that of the German nation. This inner/outer composition between her inner feeling of reconciliation and the external reconciliation in her new environment is a theme working its way through her art.

“In Germany and in Berlin, the reconciliation is between east/west, communism/capitalism, homogeneity/diversity–­the group versus the individual,” Barnes muses. “On the personal level, the reconciliation is between left and right brain, knowledge management and creativity, business and art, standing up for myself and belonging.”

For Barnes, the journey to integration extends from her birthright as a twin born under the Gemini sign of the Twins. “Who am I?” is the question she asks, and seeks to answer, with her painting. Her passage between the opposites as businesswoman and artist has led to the discovery of a language to access the energy built up from the tension of balancing life in the corporate world with her life in art.

Paradoxically, the process of working the image through this eternal question of identity has brought her into a rediscovery of words: “The integration and reconciliation of my logical business half and the creative, painting, artistic half is my own. I am not half a person, I am not only business/knowledge management/process; I am not only a creative/painter/artist. I am not half a twin. I am a whole in a set of twins.”

Yet, she sums up her passage of reconciliation through the opposites that is her birthright with a single word: JOY.