Exhibition and Reading at artist space Libken

Sunday afternoon at Libken – Blue work and words

On Sunday afternoon 14 November 2021 we organized a small exhibition and lecture In the beautiful Wasserwerk at artist space Libken. With work by Uta Neumann, Johanna Ackva and me. It was such a pleasure to share our work to the inspiring and lovely people of Libken. To the people who run Libken with heart and soul and the people who return again and again from the moment they discover this place; the lovely Libken crowd.

Johanna made a delicious cake with large pieces of juicy pear from Libkens’ own orchard and a cake with quinces and rosemary. Theresa brought warm fresh tingling apple punch and a neighbour had brought delicious home dried chamomile tea. We found a rug and two extra armchairs from the main building and at noon we had made a fire in the large wood stove to warm the building.

The days before, I had pasted my collection of dried leaves in mosaic patterns on the windows. An entire wall of the beautiful building consists of windows that face east. The perfect place to watch the blue hour rise. During my artist in residence time here I wrote an essay on Libken’s Blue and read this piece right at the moment the Blue Hour began.

14 november, Wasserwerk Libken. Uta Neumann and me in the window. 20 minutes before the blue hour begins.

Wasserwerk, Libken, Böckenberg Germany. Artist Space. The evening before during the Blue Hour.

Wasserwerk-Libken-Artist-Space — Wasserwerk, Libken, Böckenberg Germany. Artist Space.

Chartres bleu, Libken Blau

I made these patterns inspired by the blue of the grand stained glass windows in Notre Dame de Chartres. Where people from all over the world flock to see the magical blue of the pure blue coloured windows from the stained glass. That blue is exactly the hue that naturally radiates from the sky during the blue hour. So I had made a complete naturally lit stained glass window, which would carry the Chartres Bleu from Normandy (Northern France) to the county of Uckermark (Northeast Germany) that afternoon at precisely the moment of the blue, my true beautiful blue, blue hour.

Notre Dame de Chartres, stained glass window — Notre Dame de Chartres,
stained glass window.

‘the actual light is blue, this blue deepens, becomes more intense even as it darkens and fades, approximates finally the blue of the glass on a clear day at Chartres’

Joan Didion, Blue Nights

Libken-exhibition-Barbara-Colle — Libken stained glass patterns with dried leaves and the pure natural blue light.

Bis bald

Thank you all so much for this magical and beautiful afternoon. It was such a treat and you inspired me so much with all your questions, stories and attention. At the risk of forgetting someone, I start a list of the people I would like to thank by name for this afternoon: Marina, Theresa and Christoph, and of course my dear Sunday-afternoon-partners Johanna and Uta. Thank you all so much.

Danke und bis ganz ganz bald!