Katja Eydel

The starting point of Katja Eydel's (D, 1969) works is her interest in social models created within human life-worlds. Social constructions and rituals, rather than individuals, form the basis of the social and institutional agreements which Eydel addresses. The subtext of her works additionally reveals rifts and instances of vagueness inherent to the system.

Eydel's photographic view achieves an accuracy in formulating the world. By employing a narrative picture language rich in detail, which places trust in the viewers ability to interpret, the Berlin-based artist turns to themes with socio-political backgrounds, for example, aspects of the working world and their political and media representation. Katja Eydel attempts to treat cultural production as a political option.

The project, "Die Erfindung der Türkei (The Invention of Turkey)", focuses on the renovation of the country since it was established as a republic in 1923, including its representation in architecture and officially staged festivities. Eydel views Turkey as a model example of a modern foundation of a state and of the conflicts associated with it. In her picture series, the artist builds an historical bridge between the visionary, utopian and ideal basis characterizing the new republic under Ataturk and the present reality of its social construction. Symbols and rituals are photographically reproduced by setting in relation their implicit effect on the macro level with their minor, everyday shifts. It is all about the conception of aesthetic choreographies or stagings that are accentuated photographically.

Katja Eydel, Aus der Serie 'Assets 1-n', 1998/2002: Asset 11 - BVG Infosäulen

Curriculum vitae
1969 born in Darmstadt
1988-1992 Studium der Philosophie, Germanistik und Politikwissenschaft, Universität zu Köln und TH Darmstadt
1992-1998 Studium der Visuellen Kommunikation, Fachhochschule Bielefeld
  lives and works in Berlin

 

Katja Eydel, Aus der Serie ‚Teilt mit', 2004/2006: Harald Wolf besucht Produktionswerk der Wall AG - Velten

Katja Eydel, Aus der Serie ‚Model ve Sembol', 2005: Feiertag der Nationalen Souveränität und des Kindes: im 1. Parlamentsgebäude - Hasip Bey - 23.04.2005 - Ankara

exhibitions, festivals (selection)

solo exhibitions
2006 Goldrausch, Kunstamt Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
  Model und Symbol, Kunstverein Göttingen
2005 Circa Berlin, Nikolay Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center
2004 What if I could be anything?, Kunstbank Berlin
2003 X-lands, Kunstraum B/2 Leipzig
2002 Zielscheiben-Kampagne 99`, Plattform Berlin

 

group exhibitions (selection)
1997-2005 Ping Pong d'amour 12 folgen einer "Nouvelle Vague" Soap Serie für Arbeit, Liebe und existenzielle Krisen
1999 Postkolonialismus, Berlin und München
  Jazzclub einwöchiges Festival mit Filmvorführungen, Vorträgen, Ausstellungen, Konzerten, etc., Klasse Zwei, Berlin

 

publications
2005 The Making of Alex, Mare Articum, the baltic Art Magazine
  Gestaltung der Künstlerseiten mit Team PingPong
2003 Texte zur Kunst, Nr.52, Berlin
2002 Interview with A-clip, The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest, www.journalofaestheticsandprotest.org/1/aclip

 

awards and grants
2007 Stipendium Künstlerstätte Schloss Bleckede
2006 goldrausch, Künstlerinnenprojekt artIT, Postgrauiertenkolleg
2005 Ausstellungs- und Katalogförderpreis, Alfred Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung
2004 Prix CEPV, Festival Images`04, Vevey