Johanna Silbermann (*1982) is a German-born visual artist now working in Berlin. Her work is characterized by her intention to paint abstractly and figuratively at the same time. For all the recognizability of her subjects, her paintings resemble dreams, at least in terms of the change of format and perspective, the blending of different realities and blurring. She plays with a light, appealing blurring combined with an aesthetic of emptiness and incompleteness of the image itself, with a certain "non finito". It seems that it is not difficult to decipher the palm trees, leaves, loops and ferns dancing in the magical pictorial spaces where this dreamlike reality reveals itself and creates a surrealistic magic. In her melancholic cosmos, people always remain in the distance. Johanna Silbermann is represented and exhibited by Junge Kunst Berlin in Germany.
You come from the German city Halle, which is full of historical monumental architecture, which is not typical for your works... Did you find inspiration in your hometown?
In addition to the beautiful old town, Halle also has one of the biggest high-rise housing estates in the GDR, Halle Neustadt. I grew up in Berlin and know Halle more from my childhood vacation visits. And the high-rise estates where my grandparents lived, as well as the ruins and backyards, where we played as children, left a strong impression on me. Unfortunately, I'm very rarely in Halle, so I don't get enough exposure to the history of the city. Although it would be exciting to visit the city, many high-rise buildings have now been demolished and the old buildings have been renovated. It would be exciting if the impressions of my memory overlap with today's Halle.
You studied at the University of the Arts in Berlin and at the National Academy of Arts in Oslo, what made you want to study this field and then go abroad?
I was lucky enough to grow up in Berlin at a time that was full of upheavals and opportunities. I came into an open creative environment very early on, where it was clear to me from the start that I wanted to work creatively. It was a lucky coincidence that I ended up going to university. Back then, I wouldn't have believed that I had enough talent to study art. My stay in Oslo was part of the great Erasmus program, which is available at universities all over Europe. At the time, I was fascinated by Iceland and wanted to get out into nature.
Can you tell us how your distinctive artistic style has evolved since your first exhibition in 2009, which was realised while you were still studying?
During my studies, I explored space through painting and the winter nights in Oslo made a strong impression on me. At that time, everything was immersed in a purple twilight. This mood kept me very busy even after I finished my studies. In the meantime, I have become very aware of how strongly my surroundings influence my image-making. Basically, I still deal with questions about space, only that the cultural traces of people and their significance have become more important to me.
Your work features depictions of seemingly forgotten places that have gradually been swallowed up by nature, and we cannot forget the neglect of the human element. What leads you to this conception of space?
You could also say that people can be seen indirectly in my pictures. Someone has obviously pruned the tree or built the house that can be seen. Sometimes I also think in a very figurative sense, for example, you could say that the houses stand for society and that people find their way back to themselves through the decay or overgrowth of nature. This is probably how Rousseau would see it.
There are a lot of plants in your paintings - palm trees, leaves, ferns... Are these some of the symbols with your own personal meaning? Or what is your motive, your inspiration for using these natural elements?
Yes, somehow plants have a special meaning for me. I am fascinated by their properties but also by their symbolic value, for example, the laurel wreath, which has remained unchanged in its meaning since 800 BC and can be understood without words... I went to the world’s perfume capital Grasse in France two years ago; I had hoped to discover fields of roses and orange groves in bloom there. Unfortunately, most perfumes today are produced chemically.
In the last few years, you have had at least three solo exhibitions and participated in approximately 24 group exhibitions. Has this regular presentation had any influence on your artistic process and perception of your work?
Yes, the perception of one's own work naturally always changes as soon as it leaves the studio. It starts with the resulting conversations. The space in which they are exhibited or the context in which they are placed is also exciting. All this can lead to you suddenly noticing completely new things.
Since 2014 you have been in residence in both Finland and Spain, which are very different countries, both climatically and socially. Have these influences been reflected in your work? And in what ways are residencies beneficial to you as opposed to working in your studio?
Both stays influenced my work. Finland was completely new to me, and I couldn't foresee how much and how long I would work with what I saw. Spain was more calculated; I already knew roughly what to expect and hoped to find more ideas for my pictures there. I was still surprised because at that time everything was in bloom and I found the smell I was looking for in Grasse, which was something very special. For me, these stays are a very intense time because I can concentrate on my work and there aren't all the obligations and distractions from Berlin.
Do you have a specific plan for your residency projects, or do you let your intuition guide you?
I'm actually continuing my work from Berlin, but I'll decide what I do in concrete terms on site.
Did you find inspiring places during your residency in Olomouc?
Yes, absolutely! I like the socialist wall reliefs and also the Art Nouveau ornaments. Olomouc really is a beautiful place!
Since your works are known for their dreamlike atmosphere... Let me ask you in conclusion, what are your dreams and goals for the future?
At the moment I'm working on a catalogue and trying to apply for funding. I have so many ideas and hope that I can realize one or two of them. It would be great if this project succeeds and I can hold a really nice catalogue in my hands next year. Apart from that, I'm already looking forward to the IN/SU/LA project in the summer. I will be traveling with a small group of different artists to the island of Ventotene in Italy. After that, there will be a group exhibition in Rome and Berlin. I think this year has already started very well.
