ABOUT

About

Rubica von Streng

lives and works in Berlin, Germany

2012 Studies of Arts | Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe | Ernst Caramelle

2014 Studies of Arts | Universität der Künste Berlin | Mark Lammert

2018 Studies of Art History | Freie Universität Berlin

2018 Graduate of Arts | Universität der Künste Berlin

2018 Master of Arts | Universität der Künste Berlin

The view into the future plays a central role in Rubica von Streng's oeuvre – whether it is intuitions that break through, or fact-based fears that she expresses in many of her paintings. The inescapable, the truths we must confront, include the consequences of environmental degradation, the effects of the climate crisis, the division of society, and the loss of freedom as a result of political upheaval. Topics that are current today and will probably remain so for a while – certainly not easy fare.

Nevertheless, especially in the paintings of the „PortLand“ cycle, which she has been working on since 2018, von Streng manages to give the gravity of the subjects treated an unheard-of lightness. „Substance becomes atmosphere [in these paintings]; stone becomes light,“ wrote Dutch curator Jurriaan Benschop in an essay on her „Limits of PortLand“ series. This is partly due to the particular use of color and form, and partly to the sophisticated, filigree painting technique with which she manages to make the complexity of the world and the burning questions of the present comprehensible for the viewers – perhaps even a little more bearable.

A special form of entropy is at work in von Streng's pictures, that rather unfortunate physical-chemical condition which is responsible for the fact that everything strives for the state of greatest possible disorder, however much we may long for orderly states.

„Viewed on a cosmic scale, we have no chance at all of stopping this trend toward chaos,“ she states, referring to physical certainties. Such findings and the corresponding scientific discourses have long preoccupied von Streng; her private library on these topics measures several shelf meters. „To understand how the world ticks,“ she says, „it's helpful to fathom its mechanisms as best I can. I prefer to look deeper into the matter instead of settling for superficialities.“

Fortunately, the Second Law of Thermodynamics exists, which she makes use of in her artistic work: „On a small scale, such as in a closed system of canvas and paint, I can trick entropy and create order in chaos.“ This results in predominantly abstract expressionist works that oscillate between inner and outer worlds, between chance and necessity. Emotion and reflection meet, wrestling for dominance. The result of this clash is not predetermined and often arises intuitively. „The painting process takes a lot of energy,“ she admits. But the energy-sapping battle for composition is worth fighting, especially since it repeatedly produces quite astonishing paintings that sometimes overwhelm the vocabulary of art criticism. In other words: Anyone who wants to sort Rubica von Streng's works into art-theoretical categories will have a hard time. It is not necessary anyway.

Frank Lassak, ARTMAPP Magazine 2/2023

Awards and Grants

2024

Phönix Art Award | Long List | Eurobuch-Verlag | Starnberg

2023

Color – Shape – Space Award | 1st place |
Cross Currents Gallery | Philadelphia

Publication Grant | PArt Künstlerbuchstipendium
2022
Publication Grant | Spiegelberger Foundation

Media Coverage

Cover Story | “Women Art” | Collect Art Magazine | Vol 43 | Tbilisi

Interview | “Landscapes” | Collect Art Magazine | Vol 42 | Tbilisi

Cover Story | “8:37 Prologue – Facing the Future” |
Get Inspired Magazine | Rotterdam

Interview | “Artist Feature: Rubica von Streng” | Cross Currents
Gallery | Philadelphia

2023

Portrait | “About Rubica von Streng” | Artmagazineium 34 | Istanbul

Review | Museum Schloss Mitsuko „paper works“ | Art in Berlin

Interview | with René Spiegelberger | Hamburger Unternehmer Magazin

Feature | „Totentanz“ in Stralsund | NDR Kultur

Interview | „Totentanz“ in Stralsund | Ostsee-Zeitung

Portrait | „Jenseits aller Kategorien“ | ARTMAPP | Spring 2023

2022

Interview | with Ludwig Graf Westarp | Kunstleben Berlin

Portrait | „Rubica von Streng porträtiert Landschaften“ | MAZ

Interview | „Die Stimmungen der Zeit festhalten“ | Art in Berlin

Review | „Limits of PortLand im Musee Dezentral“ | Art in Berlin

2020

Portrait | „Über Rubica von Streng“ | Tagesspiegel

Review | „Wie Farbe berührt“ | taz

2019

Article | „Natur verschlingt Mensch“ | Rheinische Post

Review | „Wenn der Mensch aus der Platane schlüpft“ | WZ

2018

Cover Story | „Totentanz Aktuell“ 233 | Europäische Totentanzvereinigung

Catalogues and Books

The monograph on the third part of „PortLand“ contains more than 50 reproductions of the works of the series, plus essays by Kerstin Bitar (Museum Rosengart Collection, Lucerne) and Christoph Tannert (Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin) – as well as an interview I gave to Berlin-based journalist Frank Lassak (Arte Magazine). The 132-page book is published by Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg.

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Vol. 5 of the book series “101 Contemporary Artists and More”, published in spring 2024 by Collect Art, Tbilisi, Georgia, contains a feature about my work cycle “PortLand”, alongside stories about 100 other artists from around the world.

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The 100-page catalog accompanying the exhibition "Totentanz" at St. Jakobi Cultural Church contains reproductions of all works in the cycle as well as texts by Alexander Badrow, Gabriela Ivan, Frank Lassak, Luisa Rittershaus, Dirk Schleinert, Gerd Franz Triebenecker and Jörg-Peter Vögele. It is published by Isensee-Verlag, Oldenburg, and is available in bookstores everywhere or directly at Isensee. Price: 28 euros. ISBN: 978-3-7308-2022-3

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The exhibition "paper works" brought together diverse positions of international artists at Museum Schloss Mitsuko from September 30 to October 31, 2023. What they have in common is a passion for works on and made of paper, as well as a penchant for minimalist, naturalistic approaches to themes and materials. The works of the 18 participants as well as introductory texts by curator Ralph Tepel are published in an 80-page catalog.

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The book “Limits of PortLand” was published in September 2022 as a high-quality illustrated book in limited edition. In addition to more than 40 reproductions of the paintings and sculptures, the book contains an essay by Dutch curator Jurriaan Benschop as well as an interview in which the artist talks about the creation of the works, her motivation and intention.

ISBN: 978-3-00-073275-1

2019 marked the publication of the first volume of the “PortLand” book series, called “Towards PortLand”. It describes in great detail, how the “PortLand” work cycle started and which ideas and motivations it is based upon. Meanwhile, two editions of the book are sold out, its contents, however, will be re-edited and included in an upcoming collected edition that will cover the complete work cycle, planned for autumn 2025.

“In a world full of conflicting interests and beliefs, how do artists root themselves? Where do they find their sense of direction? These questions underlie the exhibition Taking Root. ... The eleven artists presented ... did find some roots. They have developed a focus in their practice and in their interests, and that is what gives their work depth.”
Excerpt from foreword by Jurriaan Benschop, freelance curator, for KIT (Kunsthalle) Düsseldorf, 2019/2020.

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