'NO MATTER WHAT'
duo exhibition: Valentina Plank together with Len bay
from 08.02. to 07.03.2025
The duo exhibition 'no matter what' by artists Valentina Plank and Len Bay focuses on engaging with material, its inherent traces, connotations, histories, meanings, and effects. Both artists follow sculptural approaches that intersect the fields of media art and sculpture. The starting point for their artistic processes is the world of objects that surrounds us.
Industrially manufactured furniture, spaces, and architecture are omnipresent. In an era that Donna Haraway describes as the “Chthulucene”, the artists believe it is increasingly important to assign greater significance to objects, the environment, and, more generally, non-human agents, as well as to explore their history, meaning, and expressiveness more intensively.
Steel, aluminum, stainless steel, insulating materials, and metal sheets become carriers of meaning and form the basis for artistic exploration. In their engagement with traditional craftsmanship and industrial manufacturing, as well as with materials often perceived as “raw,” references to Minimal Art are evident. However, Plank and Bay go a step further: the materials they use are not limited to their external appearance. The tactile qualities, texture, and sensory perception of the installations and sculptures transform them into vessels capable of being charged—filled—with the viewers' own experiences.
Valentina Plank enables open access to her works through a transparent and studio-based process. Experimenting and weighing the relationship between chance, trace, and control take center stage. While individual steps of her process may be comprehensible, curiosity about the undiscovered and the element of surprise remain at the core. Playfulness is supported, not undermined, by the precise placement of her works within the space. This intuitive approach generates unexpected sensory impressions and possibilities for perception.
a&o Kunsthalle
Brandenburger Str. 2
04103 Leipzig, Germany
aokunsthalle.com
