Description
Read more about the artist >>>>here
This piece is made by Heike Arndt during her stay in her studio in Beijing, China and has been part of the “Where is home” exhibition shown in Beijing at ONE MOON Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art ,Lissone/Milano /Italy.
About the work “The massage”
This print is part of the series “Home sweet home”, all done with handcolored aquatinte ,when living and working in Beijing, China from 2005 to 2009. Here Heike Arndt established one of the very few existing studios with a custommade press. Here she experimented with paintings, sculptures and also with graphic. She produced in her chinese studio several graphic works. The series “Home sweet home” 12 different pieces, “Luggage” with 8 different pieces and the 3 pieces “Boy”, “Woman” and “Girl with red lamp”. Even when the most editions have been signed with a maximum edition of 40 pieces are most of them not be printet more than typical 10. All of them varie a bit in color as Heike preferes the slight difference to keep each one with there own identity.
About the Artwork
Heike Arndt aim to make human emotions visible in her art, where it is possible for the viewer to recognize him/herself and a given situation, and she finds it necessary to portray this constant interpretation of nonverbal and verbal language. Heike Arndt about her artwork: “When the human being communicates with its surroundings it uses a verbal and non-verbal language. The human understanding is imbedded in historical, cultural and social contexts and is therefore a basic element in our basic integration and ability to treat each other with respect.The interpretation of the heard and the seen is a constantly ongoing process in the human sub consciousness. We interpret experiences and situations differently due to our history and culture, so therefore the verification of the expressed language – verbal and non-verbal – is necessary to our mutual understanding.It is necessary to strengthen our awareness of the ambiguity in the human communication to prevent misunderstandings and create a more empathetic behavior. We need a ‘home’ to identify our selves as human beings – but in order to meet others with respect it is just crucial to understand that people have different experiences of ‘home’.”
About the artist
Since Heike Arndt fled from GDR 1985 she has had residence and citizenship in Denmark. Today she considers herself as a Dane and cosmopolitan. The cultural change from east to west and her many journeys worldwide have had a great impact on her artistic work. Human relations have always been the focus and main drive in Heike Arndt’s personal life and art. Her East German upbringing and innumerable residences in nearly all continents of the world has given her a great insight in different cultures. Heike Arndt portrays the basic emotions of human beings. From Greenland,China to Africa she has collected experiences of different life situations and by living amongst people and doing interviews she has tried to find the key to empathy. To Heike Arndt, empathy leads to the respect, acknowledgement and understanding of other people which is so important in a globalised world. This comes to show with her very successful travel exhibition in Greenland which was later presented in both the US and several places in Europe. Heike Arndt worked and had her own studio in Italy with Ansgar Elde (friend of Asger Jorn) since 1993.Since then she moved her studio to Finale /Ligure and her mainstudio is in Kettinge Denmark. Besides German, Danish and English Heike Arndt also speaks Italian.
