Vita
*1987, born in Stralsund, Germany
lives and works between Berlin, London and the Sea
Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, London, UK
Education
2014-2016 Universität der Künste Berlin, MA Fine Art – Distinction master student of Prof. Ai Weiwei
2011-2013, University of East London, BA Fine Art – Distinction
Artist statement
Using site specific installation and sculpture Karolin Schwab explores different ideas of how we perceive a landscape as well as the space and the relationship between the viewer and their ever-changing environment. Her works embrace the gentle processes and movement in everything, while also seeking to find a moment of stillness.
The minimalistic shapes and lines that she deliberately puts into a certain context form a kind of framework or bridge, that create a moment that allows for a connection between man and nature, between inner and outer landscape. With regards to the reoccurring circles in a lot of the installations one could also speak of lenses or magnifying glasses that make the viewer look far out in order to find a part of their inner self. Looking, noticing, sensing becomes the subject and so the subject becomes the person and his behavior.
The relationship of humans to nature is an important expression of culture and in many ways synonymous with the relationship to the ‚sacred/universal’. This can be traced back to beginning of mankind and still remains a very relevant topic especially in our digital age, where we have to ask questions about what it is that makes us human?
Wether working outdoors or indoors she aims to sensitive the viewer to what is happing around them in terms of light, wind, material, space, change of color or of perspective and that it is their story that completes the piece. The underlying narrative of the work is one that is talking about change and it is changing with every new environment and every person, that encounters it.
Collections
Stockamp Tsai Collection
Museum Katharinenhof Kranenburg
Laoshan Museum of Art, Qingdao
several private collections
Awards and Residencies
2019
Grizdale Residency Award, Royal Society of Sculptors & Grizedale Sculpture Forest
Broomhill National Sculpture Prize, Finalist
Malt AIR, Sholarship and Artist Residency
Gilbert Bayes Award, Royal Society of Sculptors, London, UK
2018
Finalist for the Nachwuchskunstpreis für Bildende Kunst in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Scholarship & Artist Residency, Virginia Creative Center for Arts, VA, USA
Scholarship & Artist Residency, Alps Art Academy, Safiental, Switzerland
2017
Artist Residency of Chinese-German Cultural Exchange (CGCE), Peking/Qingdao, China
Artist in Residence at UEL Fine Art Space, London
2014-2016
Atina Artist Residency, Italy
2014
Directional Forces Artist Residency, ARToll, Kleve, Germany
2011
London Photo Festival, Best in Show
Shows (selected)
Solo shows
2018
AWAITING TITLE, AVA Gallery University of East London, UK
2017
YOUR HORIZON IS MY HORIZON, Galerie Burster, Berlin
BACK AND FORTH,…ROUND IN CIRCLES Pt. 2, Solo Show,
Barking Learning Center, London
BACK AND FORTH,…ROUND IN CIRCLES,
University of East London Fine Art Space, London
SQUARE-SCAPE-SPACE, Polly Faber Kunstverein, Greifswald, Germany
Group shows
2018
Sonne oder Mond Part I – Schleswig Holstein Haus, Schwerin
Sonne oder Mond Part II – LEERSTELLE, Ribnitz-Damgarten
Sonne oder Mond Part III – Church of St. Jakobi, Stralsund
DUO-SHOW with Melanie Balsam-Parasole, Galerie Schmidt&Schütte, Cologne
Das Schöne Zimmer, Alexander Ochs Private, Berlin
2017
small things – good things, Alexander Ochs Private, Berlin
ARTISTS IN DIALOGUE, Laoshan Museum of Art, Qingdao, China
WERKSCHAU 55, HB55 Kunstfabrik, Berlin
KUNST.ORT.KINO -eine Ausstellung des Erfurter Kunstvereins, Kunsthalle Erfurt
HYDROHIL, Galerie Schmidt & Schütte, Cologne
VENTURES, Open Walls Gallery, Berlin
2016
ON VIEW, Galerie Burster, Berlin
YOUR SQUARE IS MY CIRCLE | YOUR CIRCLE IS MY SQUARE , Duo-Show with Melanie Balsam-Parasole, Museum Katharinenhof, Kranenburg
WHAT IS A REFUGEE?, Exhibition of Class Ai Weiwei, University of Arts, Berlin
2015
Rundgang ’15, University of Arts, Berlin
ZIG-ZAK, Galerie Jordan Seydoux, Berlin, curated by Gina Burdass
Atina Artist Residency, Italy
234 Miles East, Projektraum ‘Rauer 20’, Bremen, Germany
2014
ARTFETCH OFFLINE: New Art in Berlin, GSL Projects, Berlin, Germany
Atina 2014 Artist Residency, Atina, Italy
Sant’Ambrogio Exhibition, Italy
DIRECTIONAL FORCES BELGRADE, O3ONE Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia
DIRECTIONAL FORCES 2014, Artist Residency, ARToll Kunstlabor , Kleve Germany
CHINESE OPEN, Q-Park Chinatown, London, curated by Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie
2013
Big Deal no. 5, Q-Park Oxford Street, London, curated by Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie
Float Art, Dixie Queen, London
Free Range, Truman Brewery, London
Horse Meat, Cock’n’ Bull Gallery, London , curated by Alexis Harding
The Other Art Fair, London -shortlisted-
To Each Their Own, RichMix, London
2012
Seek&Hide, Studio Sienko Gallery, London, UK
Cabinet Exhibition, Islington Arts Factory, London, UK
Reverb, Mile End Art Pavilion, London, UK
2011
London Photo Festival, The Crypt, Borough London- winner “Best in Show”
Light-Art-Church, Church of St. Mary, Greifswald, Germany
INSOMNALE ’11, Greifswald, Germany
2010
AKT -Tourist III, Caspar David Friedrich Institute, Greifswald, Germany
Portrait- artistic approaches, House of Fallada, Greifswald, Germany
INSOMNALE ‘10, Greifswald, Germany
7- a magic number, St. Spiritus Gallery, Greifswald,