From March 2 to May 12, 2019, the Frankfurter Kunstverein will focus on eight young and aspiring artists from the Rhein-Main area with the exhibition “And This is Us: Young Art from Frankfurt”. The group exhibition will present works by Viviana Abelson, Jonas Brinker, Bertrand Flanet, Max Geisler, Hanna-Maria Hammari, Christian Leicher, Wagehe Raufi, and Catharina Szonn.

The exhibition gives these young artists the opportunity to showcase their works on an institutional stage, in some cases for the first time. The aim of “And This is Us: Young Art from Frankfurt” is to highlight the diversity of contemporary artistic practices. At the same time, the exhibition paints a multifaceted picture of current art production in Frankfurt, which profits from the many international protagonists and exchange processes. With new works created specifically for the rooms of the Frankfurter Kunstverein, the artists provide an insight into the themes and formats that make up their practice.

The exhibition “And This is Us: Young Art from Frankfurt” gives the young artists the freedom to further develop their artistic position and realize new ideas. During this process, they will be actively accompanied and supported all the way from conception and production to installation. As a result, the exhibition does not follow a thematic framework, but gives a thorough insight into the interests and approaches of artistic creation in Frankfurt today.

The range of participating artists reflects Frankfurt’s position as an epicenter of artistic activity. With internationally renowned art schools, the Rhein-Main area is pivotal to the careers of many aspiring artists. Future careers benefit from this foundation in their development which will leap these artists into the international art world. With “And This is Us: Young Art from Frankfurt”, the Frankfurter Kunstverein showcases eight artists who were educated at the Städelschule Academy of Fine Arts and the Offenbach University of Art and Design and launched their careers here.

The Frankfurter Kunstverein is a nationally visible platform for innovative positions of international art practice. Regularly, exhibition formats like “Things I Think I Want” (2017) and “New Frankfurt Internationals (2010 and 2015) have offered a stage for artists working in Frankfurt, on which both students and already independently working artists have presented their work. The curatorial team around Franziska Nori is in regular contact with the art schools in the region and the local art scene and cooperated closely with this network in preparation for the exhibition.

“And This is Us: Young Art from Frankfurt” brings together promising artists in a constellation that was determined in multiple steps, who are using their newly created works to present themselves to an international audience and take an important step in their development.

Viviana Abelson (*1985, Buenos Aires, AR) attended Frankfurt Art Academy Städelschule, whe-re she graduated in 2018 as master-class student of Prof. Douglas Gordon. From 2013 to 2014, she studied with Prof. Josephine Pryde at UdK Berlin University of the Arts after studying in Argentina at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella and at the LIPAC – Buenos Aires University.

Jonas Brinker (*1989, Bochum) studied as master-class student with Prof. Douglas Gordon and Prof. Willem de Rooij from 2015 to 2018 and completed his studies as a master-class student at the Frankfurt Art Academy Städelschule. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Arts in London, GB in 2015.

Bertrand Flanet (*1986, Schiltigheim, FR) studied as master-class student of Prof. Douglas Gordon at Frankfurt Art Academy Städelschule until 2018. Previously, he studied art history at the Université Rennes II in Rennes and Contemporary Art History and Curating Practices at Univer-sité Marc Bloch in Strasbourg, FR.

Max Geisler (*1990, Frankfurt am Main) studied at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach am Main with Prof. Gunter Reski and Prof. Adam Jankowski until 2018. He studied a semester abrod at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, AT with Prof. Erwin Bohatsch in 2017.

Hanna-Maria Hammari (*1986, Tornio, FI) studied as master-class student with Prof. Tobias Rehberger at Frankfurt Art Academy Städelschule from 2011 to 2017. In 2016 she spent a semester abroad at the Cooper Union in New York, US.

Christian Leicher (*1996, Frankfurt am Main) studies at the University of Art and Design in Of-fenbach with Prof. Heiner Blum since 2016.

Wagehe Raufi (*1990, Dissen am Teutoburger Wald) studies at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach with Prof. Gunter Reski, Prof. Susanne Winterling and Prof. Julika Rudelius since 2011. During 2018 and 2019, she was one semester abroad at Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, CN.

Catharina Szonn (*1987, Großenhain) studies at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach with Prof. Alex Oppermann and Prof. Gunter Reski since 2013. She attended the master’s program Critical Studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, AT in 2018 and the Iceland Academy of Arts Reykjavik, IS, in 2016.