once upon a time
Art Description
In the series “Once Upon A Time”, familiar stories are placed in a new context. The fact that these are the famous characters from Grimm’s fairy tales only becomes apparent on a second glance.
Set against Berlin’s iconic U-Bahn stations, the characters have been torn from their enchanted worlds and dropped into the realities of a modern metropolis. The result is both unsettling and strangely familiar. Inevitably, the viewer begins to reinterpret the old stories through a contemporary lens.
A distinctive feature of the series is its material: cardboard. Every painting is created on this versatile surface, which embodies urban life like few other materials can. It appears as the packaging for our countless deliveries, as hand-painted signs, and as makeshift bedding for those without a permanent roof over their heads.
Snow White
With an apple in her hand and having just stepped out of the Apple Store, you almost want to shout: “No, don’t bite into it!” But the old woman at the fruit stand behind her merely smiles, knowing that some things are destined to happen regardless.
Little Red Riding Hood
The wine bottle is already half empty, and instead of a basket for her grandmother, she carries a plastic bag containing all her possessions. Is she someone to be pitied, or does everything merely appear darker than it really is? The young man in the background, sporting a wolf-like haircut, might know the answer.
Rapunzel
Is someone waiting for her prince? Spending hours at the window overlooking the busy roundabout at Moritzplatz can certainly help pass the time. Then again, perhaps she is not waiting for a prince at all. Perhaps she is waiting for a princess.
Hansel & Gretel
These two seem to have lost their way at Schlesisches Tor. Did they run away from home, or did they simply miss the last train? If only there were gingerbread houses around here. Then again, a dürüm kebab might do the job just as well. The pigeons will probably take care of the crumbs soon enough.
Sleeping Beauty
Sunday morning at Warschauer Straße: the last partygoers are making their way home, but one young woman has settled comfortably in a doorway, vape in hand, enjoying the sun on her face. A Burger King crown sits proudly on her head. Too exhausted to get up? Or exactly where she wants to be?
you may also like
categories
