Communication with the Rotten Past IX, 2019

Miami Beach 2019
Communication with the Rotten Past IX

Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder

Sculpture
Glazed ceramic
52.0 x 52.0 x 72.0 (cm)
20.5 x 20.5 x 28.3 (inch)

The new ceramic sculptures by Isa Melsheimer, titled Metabolites, are hybrids located somewhere between constructed and organic objects, reflecting the decay and re-naturalization of buildings. Melsheimer’s works act as subtle artifacts tinged with postmodernist humor, their radiant psychedelic colors lending them a fantastic and playful aura. They are presented on pedestals of different heights in a special landscape designed by the artist herself.

Of her installations, she once said: ‘I consider the challenge to think important and art should be allowed to be somewhat demanding. My work is neither decorative, nor is it visually delicate, rather it possesses a certain aesthetic in which its contextual component is always inscribed into the material. This establishes, so to speak, my handwriting, which in my view has a high recognition value.’  

Isa Melsheimer (born 1968 in Neuss, Germany) studied at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin in Georg Baselitz’s master class from 1991 to 1997. Known for her engagement with the history of architectural styles – especially the legacy of Modernism and examples of concrete architecture – Melsheimer’s works are expressions of her intense research as well as formal investigations. She has received several grants, including from the Chinati Foundation, Marfa; Villa Massimo, Rome; and the Fogo Island Art Residency. In 2015, Melsheimer received the Marianne Werefkin Prize. She lives and works in Berlin.