OPEN STUDIOS at the International Künstlerhaus
For 35 years, the Förderverein Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus e.V. has been awarding working grants to artists with links to Bavaria in the fields of visual arts, literature and composition. In return, artists, writers and composers from international partner institutions come to Schwandorf for working residencies lasting several weeks. The collaboration with the Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts (VCCA) in Amherst, Virginia, has been in place since 1989 and is therefore one of the longest-standing partnerships in the exchange programme.
Art, literature and music from the USA are the focus of the upcoming Open Studios. Four guests from the VCCA are currently staying at the International Artists’ House: the writer Clifford Garstang, the visual artists Charlotte Rodenberg and Adrianna Speer, and the composer Erika Ji. During their stay, they are living and working on new projects at the Fronberg Artists’ Residence.
Clifford Garstang lives in the US state of Virginia and is the author of several novels and short story collections. As a former international lawyer specialising in South-East Asia, his literary work frequently explores cultural encounters and the changes that travel and new experiences bring about in one’s perspective on other societies. In Schwandorf, he is currently working on a literary thriller whose plot spans several Asian countries.
Charlotte Rodenberg is a multidisciplinary artist currently living in Doha, Qatar. Her works emerge from archival research and experimental material processes, and explore themes such as cultural heritage, migration, climate activism and media disinformation. Her artistic practice encompasses, amongst other things, textiles, installations, drawing, painting and printmaking.
Adrianna Speer lives and works in Ruston, Louisiana, where she also teaches fine art. Her works oscillate between direct observation and imaginative reconstruction. Drawing on landscape studies and oil sketches, she develops multi-layered mixed-media works that explore questions of memory, identity and interpersonal relationships.
In her works, composer Erika Ji combines music with narrative elements. Her compositions have been performed at venues including Lincoln Centre and the Public Theatre in New York. As a cross-genre artist, she is interested in dreamlike soundscapes and stories that challenge conventional perspectives.
At 15:00, Clifford Garstang will read from his writings. At 15:45, Erika Ji will present her own works as part of a piano concert.
The artists and the team at Kebbel Villa look forward to your visit!
Venue: International Künstlerhaus, Maximilianstrasse 10, 92421 Schwandorf
Admission is free, any reservation is not required.
