Tina Kohlmann’s installation offers visitors a transformative experience. Entitled “Go make thyself like a nymph o’ th’ sea,” a quote from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the exhibition challenges one to morph into an aquatic entity while evoking the transformative power of art, like in the play. In this new installation, the public is greeted by amorphous creatures oscillating between monstrous and enchanting beauty. These mesmerizing beings move gracefully on an almost dissolving surface, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior realms.
Reflecting the audience and surrounding architecture during the day, constantly morphing with the interplay of light reflections in the changing sunlight, the installation takes on another form in the dark. Like two guards guarding a portal to another world, it lures the passers-by to reflect on the fluidity and malleability of identity and space.
Kohlmann’s work frequently engages with mythical figures, drawing on various cultural narratives. Her latest installation delves into the myths and legends of the Danube, one of Europe’s longest and most culturally significant rivers. Flowing through ten countries, the Danube is not just a vital waterway but a symbol of connection and division across cultures and histories. Kohlmann’s work reflects this duality, inviting viewers on a journey. Utilizing organic and inorganic materials, Kohlmann crafts objects that merge elements like the colorful play of church windows and the reflections of flowing water into figures teeming with movement and stories.
Aligned with the Art Lab on the Move philosophy, this work encourages contemplation of the visible and invisible worlds within a city. What stories lie hidden behind the facades? Who is seen, and who remains invisible? Visitors become part of the installation themselves. Every step and every movement is absorbed and reflected by the surface, creating a continuous dialogue between the artwork, the city, and the audience. As a space within the public realm, the exhibition will be visible to all visitors and particularly to the neighborhood residents both day and night. Every Saturday, donumenta e.V. will host gatherings for communal exchange.
About the Artist:
Tina Kohlmann studied at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach, earning a diploma in Visual Communication. She also studied at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main under Michael Krebber. Since 2016, Kohlmann has been part of the Frankfurt-based artists’ collective HazMatLab. She has received numerous grants and residencies, including a travel grant from the Hessische Kulturstiftung (Arctic Circle) and a six-month New York grant from Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral, as well as a year-long grant from Künstlerhilfe Frankfurt. She participated in the Arctic Circle Expeditionary Residency on a sailing boat in Svalbard and has been an artist in residence in Fljotstunga (Iceland), Shimla (India), Budapest Galeria (Budapest), Sandnes (Norway), LES Artists Alliance Inc. (New York), Copperleg Artist Residency (Estonia), The Wassaic Project (USA), and The Future (Minneapolis). Her work has been exhibited in numerous national and international solo exhibitions, including at Philipp Pflug Contemporary (Frankfurt), Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Art Cologne, Cuchifritos Gallery and Project Space (New York), Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Mousonturm (Frankfurt), AiR Antwerpen, Regina Rex (New York), Kunstverein Letschebach (Karlsruhe), and Field Projects (New York). Between her travels, Kohlmann lives and works in Frankfurt.