No wait: Summer was good to me, and I hope you all had a great time too!
It’s been a while since I last sat down at my computer to write you some fresh lines—well, to be honest, it’s been a while since I sat down at my computer at all! I took a few weeks off with my family—yes, of course, in the countryside—and, as always, it’s a bit difficult to readjust to city life after coming back.
So, what could be a better way to “rip the band-aid off” than to invite you to a sweet group show called HEAT, opening this Friday (Sept. 5) at 7 PM at Melvin’s MEGA Contemporary (main location at Bäckerbreitergang 75, Hamburg)?
Melvin has brought together the talents of Steffi Rausch, Zhou Huang, Nicola Watson, and Max Klein for this show. They’re all amazing artists, so make sure to check them out—I’ll add links to their profiles further below.
And yes, he also asked me to show some work at HEAT, and I’m both grateful and excited to return for this special occasion. I’ll be bringing some of my new chainsaw sculptures that haven’t been shown in Hamburg before, as well as some woodcuts. Plus, I’ll be debuting something I worked on during my summer break: baseball bats!
As some of you may have already seen on Instagram, I’ve started creating unique pieces of sports equipment using grinders, sharp blades, and… well, paint. These works are essentially an intensified extension of my drawings—with a harder punch than ink on paper. I felt the need to escalate the power of my words, so to speak. We no longer have the luxury of staying too cozy, given the current political and environmental climate.
For HEAT, I’ve finished the first three baseball bats in this series. Each one is a unique artwork—rough around the edges, yet undoubtedly a conversation starter wherever you choose to display it: over your door, in the dining room, the garage, your office—wherever you feel it makes the strongest statement. And of course, you can carry one with you if you prefer. It’s entirely up to you where your statement resonates best.
I know that, looking at the peaceful surroundings of our lovely country house—the calmness of cows grazing in the meadow by our land, the magical northern light delicately touching the earth—it might seem natural to create more lighthearted art. But honestly, we already have plenty of that. So please, let me continue to be bold, a bit uncomfortable, and hopefully just slightly irritating.
If you’re in Hamburg this Friday, I truly hope to see you there and have a chat. If not, don’t hesitate to reach out by simply replying to this newsletter.
Hope to see—or hear from—you soon!
Jörg
