European Artists Group Exhibition
The Sun Shone from a Different Place
Gillian Ayres
Armin Boehm
Jonas Burgert
Michael Alexander Campbell
Alessandro Giannì
HIMBAD
Alice Herbst
Eleanor Johnson
Ryan Mosley
Alicja Pakosz
Edgar Plans
Marinella Senatore
Frida Wannerberger
Von Wolfe
Hong Kong Wong Chuk Hang Space
2026.2.7 - 2026.3.17
In this captivating showcase, fourteen artists from various European generations respond to reality, memory, and imagination through their unique creative journeys. Though their subjects vary—portraits, families, cities, myths, emotions, and symbols—the common thread is the notion of painting as a slow process of understanding the world.
"The Sun Shone from a Different Place" does not simply denote difference; it speaks to the vantage point from which we observe. As our perspective shifts, so too does the direction of light, revealing new layers and textures of the world around us.
This exploration of light sources continually challenges the limits of visual perception. Von Wolfe blurs the lines between traditional oil painting and AI co-creation with his surreal compositions, crafting an ambiguous realm where reality and illusion entwine. In contrast, Jonas Burgert delves into the human spirit, constructing a microcosm rich in symbolism. His narratives unfold like battles on the fringes of an apocalyptic landscape, capturing the intangible loss, fear, and struggle within the human soul.
Amid this profound introspection, Marinella Senatore introduces the power of community, transforming "light" into a social medium that elevates the creative space into a shared theater. Meanwhile, Alessandro Giannì employs collage techniques to navigate cultural symbols, seeking individual coordinates within contemporary society.
As the narratives shift towards intimate emotional dimensions, Frida Wannerberger and Alice Herbst unveil intricate autobiographical hues. Wannerberger transforms bodily forms and attire into expressive instruments, weaving an emotional biography of identity, while Herbst dissects everyday objects with calm precision, reconstructing perspectives on self-observation. In this identity reformation, Armin Boehm responds to societal anxieties and contradictions through densely layered visual structures.
This analysis of reality further evolves within the exhibition into a deep reconstruction of symbols and structures. Michael Alexander Campbell extracts forms from photography, fostering an original tension that exists "before representation," while Ryan Mosley creates an absurd theatrical exploration—examining the shifting dynamics of social and familial relationships. Alicja Pakosz encourages us to reconsider seemingly mundane behaviors and thoughts, defining these often-overlooked actions as "banal national symbols" through her research into Polish lore and local popular culture.
In an ultimate expression of painting’s purity, Eleanor Johnson and Gillian Ayres engage in a dialogue that transcends time. Johnson’s figures dance between abstraction and figuration, embodying the eternal and sublime quality of classical masterworks; whereas Ayres employs vibrant, celebratory colors to transform natural experiences into visual festivities. Lastly, Edgar Plans and HIMBAD bring these grand narratives back to contemporary life through the intuition and ironic symbols of street art, with their fluid graffiti lines reflecting their humorous yet slightly rebellious souls.
As these works converge within the same space, they illuminate a collective practice of "painting as slow cognition." In an age where images are swiftly generated by AI, these artists choose to return to the canvas, solidifying ephemeral thoughts with layers of paint. The visual illusions of Von Wolfe, the apocalyptic anxieties of Burgert, Wannerberger's emotional biographies, and Johnson’s ethereal sublimity create a powerful complementarity within the space. Though each artist’s light source varies, when these beams intertwine, they collectively illuminate the rich, multifaceted depth of contemporary European painting—a realm that both honors tradition and boldly challenges reality.
EXHIBITING WORKS
 Michael Alexander Campbell Le Cri de Pars Oil on canvas 200 x 150 cm 2026 |  Michael Alexander Campbell Betty Boop Oil on canvas 150 x 200 cm 2026 |  Alice Herbst Shield Bouquet Oil on canvas 155 x 124 cm 2025 |
|---|---|---|
 Alice Herbst Pick Apart Oil on canvas 155 x 124 cm 2025 |  Ryan Mosley Doppelganger Picnic Oil on linen 170 x 215 cm 2017 |  Ryan Mosley The Journey so Far Oil on linen 120 x 150 cm 2024 |
 Ryan Mosley House & Home Oil on linen 180 x 150 cm 2017 |  HIMBAD Patience Acrylic on canvas 200 x 200 cm 2023 |  Jonas Burgert Glutschicht Oil on canvas 260 x 180 cm 2025 |
 Marinella Senatore There is so much we can learn from the sun #6 Collage on golden leaf 210 x 180 cm (70 x 60 cm x 9 pieces) 2025 |  Marinella Senatore We rise by lifting others Oil on canvas 210 x 150 cm (70 x 50 cm x 9 pieces) 2025 |  Gillian Ayres The Tide That Laps Against the Shore Oil on canvas 122 x 185 cm 2016 |
 Gillian Ayres The Sun Shone from a Different Place Oil on canvas 199 x 199 cm 2009 |  Frida Wannerberger When the Wagner Group is declared a terrorist organisation under UK legislation and you think about the worid and lifeand the future. Oil on canvas 160 x 100 cm 2023 |  Frida Wannerberger The female rage and the cats of significance Oil on canvas 150 x 100 cm 2023 |
 Frida Wannerberger For Alessandro Oil on canvas 180 x 120 cm 2023 |  Eleanor Johnson Sinking, Soaring Oil on canvas 160 x 185 cm 2024 |  Edgar Plans Heaven Acrylic on wood 115 x 130 cm 2025 |
 Edgar Plans AIR, Tribute to Michael Jordan Mixed media on wood shaped panel and on canvas 120 x 130 cm 2023 |  Edgar Plans AIR, Tribute to Michael Jordan Mixed media on wood shaped panel and on canvas 120 x 150 cm 2023 |  Armin Boehm Skrillex Chihuahua trade wars 2055 Oil and fabric on canvas 170 x 190 cm 2024 |
 Armin Boehm Intellectual Seance in Red Oil and fabric on canvas 170 x 200 cm 2023 |  Alessandro Giannì Untitled Oil on Canvas 70 x 90 cm 2024 |  Alessandro Giannì Shattered Oil on Canvas 197 x 249 cm 2024 |
 Alicja Pakosz Watching you I Acrylic on paper 21 x 30 cm 2024 |  Alicja Pakosz Watching you II Acrylic on paper 21 x 30 cm 2024 |  Von Wolfe The Dollhouse and the Dusk Oil on canvas 180 x 180 cm 2025 |
Artists
GILLIAN AYRES
1930-2018, London, UK
Gillian Ayres was one of the leading abstract painters of her generation. Whilst attending St Paul’s Girls’ School, London, she taught art at weekends to the children of war-blitzed Stepney. In 1946, at the age of sixteen, she enrolled at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. Ayres exhibited with Young Contemporaries in 1949 and with the London Group in 1951. Her first solo show was at Gallery One, London, in 1956. The following year she was commissioned to create a large-scale mural for South Hampstead High School for Girls. In 1963, her paintings were included in the Whitechapel Art Gallery’s ground-breaking exhibition British Painting in the 60s. As well as the vibrant, heavily worked canvases for which she is best known, she was also a dedicated printmaker.
Her paintings and prints are held by major museums and galleries around the world including Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate, London; British Museum, London; Arts Council of Great Britain; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Ulster Museum, Belfast; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Museum of Modern Art, Brasilia.
Ayres held a number teaching posts in various art schools, including Bath Academy of Art, Corsham; St Martin’s School of Art, London; and Winchester School of Art where she was the first woman in the UK to hold the position of Head of Painting. She left teaching in 1981 and moved to an old rectory in North Wales to become a full-time painter. In 1987 she relocated to the North Devon / Cornwall border where she remained for the rest of her life. In 1989 she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize, and in 1991 was elected Royal Academician. Ayres was appointed a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2011.
ARMIN BOEHM
b. 1972, Aachen, Germany
Works and lives in Berlin
Armin Boehm's paintings capture the unfiltered realities of modern society, featuring complex and deeply layered scenes that intertwine internal narrative and compositional elements. His work is a fusion of multi-layered fabric collages and various motifs, drawing viewers into a surreal urban cosmos inhabited by cyborgs, politicians, and flowers.
The fragmented surface of Boehm's artwork reflects the psychological fractures of contemporary life, representing the various layers of 'reality' that coexist within our daily lives. Much like the German Expressionism movement of the early 20th century, which examined the effects of technological progress, Boehm critiques the shifting spirituality and morality of modern society – forces that are increasingly shaped by technology and the small, powerful elite who control it.
Boehm's work exudes an undeniable sense of anxiety. As the artist reflects, "Recently, our lives have been dominated by unexamined positivity." In an age where social validation is increasingly measured in ‘likes’, Boehm argues that it is more important than ever to confront and express our anxieties and tragedies – only then can we move toward true mental stability.
Boehm has participated in various international exhibitions. His recent exhibitions include: “IM SPIEGEL VERLOREN” at KÖNIG BERGSON (Germany, 2025), “FEAST, RESTRAINED, PLEASURE” at TANG CONTEMPORARY ART (Singapore, 2025), “LUST ANGST SCHMERZ EKSTASE“ at König Galerie (Germany, 2024); “Die hellen Tage” at Hans Alf Gallery (Denmark, 2023), and “From Gloom to Night” at CHOI&CHOI Gallery (South Korea, 2022).
JONAS BURGERT
b. 1969, Berlin, Germany
Lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Jonas Burgert graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Berlin, in 1996 and consecutively studied for a postgraduate title (Meisterschueler) under Professor Dieter Hacker in Berlin. Jonas Burgert paints a stage every time that he lifts his brush: with every stroke, with every composition. His works depict the inexhaustible theatre play that Burgert considers to be the meaning of human existence: man’s need to make sense of his purpose in life. It is a quest that seems inconclusive, but which opens doors to every sphere of reasoning, imagination and desire. Oversized canvases are crowded with fantastical costumed figures intertwined with organic forms of various proportions, illustrated with bold colors, draping a trace of unspoken emotions among viewers.
Since 1998, his work has been on view in numerous group shows around the world, including “Geschichtenerzaehler”, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, 2003, and “Triumph of Painting Part VI” , London’s Saatchi Gallery, 2006. Since 2006 Burgert’s work has been on view in solo exhibitions around the world. Selected Solo Exhibitions include “kein Einst”, Produzentengalerie Hamburg, (Germany, 2025); “sinnwild,” Tang Contemporary Art, Seoul, (South Korea, 2024); “Stirn sticht”, DSC Gallery, Prague, (Czech Republic, 2023); “ein Dorn weich: Recent Drawings”, Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, London (UK, 2022); “raub und bleib”, Produzentengalerie, Hamburg (Germany, 2022); “blüht und lügt” , Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai (China, 2021); “Blindstich” , Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing (China, 2020); “Sinn frisst”, Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck (Germany, 2020); “Ein Klang Lang”, Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong SAR, China, 2019), etc. Selected group exhibitions include “August in Bloom”, Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, (China, 2025); “Spring Exhibition”, Galerie Thomas, Munich, (Germany, 2024); “Golden: 28th Anniversary Exhibition”, Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, (China, 2024); Tokyo Gendai, Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, (Japan, 2024 and 2023); Art Busan, Busan Convention and Exhibition Centre, Busan, (Korea, 2023) ; Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, (China, 2023); “Unpack Reveal Unleash”, Tang Contemporary Art, Seoul, (South Korea, 2023); “FLOWER”, Choi&Choi Gallery, Seoul (Korea, 2022); “German Painting Now”, Telegraph Gallery, Olomouc (Czechia, 2021); “Szene Berlin”, Hall Art Foundation (Germany, 2020); “Kirchner · Richter · Burgert, me Collectors Room Berlin”, Olbricht Foundation (Germany, 2019); “Where is the Madness You Promised Me”, Hudson Valley MOCA, New York (USA, 2019), etc.
Public collections include Long Museum, Shanghai; Burger Collection, Hong Kong; Denver Art Museum, US; Rubell Family Art Collection, US and Taguchi Art Collection, Japan.
MICHAEL ALEXANDER CAMPBELL
b. 1999, United Kingdom
Michael Alexander Campbell (b. 1999, United Kingdom) is an artist raised in Switzerland and based in New York. He studied Fine Art at Lancaster University (UK), completing his degree with honors, and later undertook a residency at Palazzo Chupi in New York. He subsequently apprenticed in the studio of acclaimed painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel.
Campbell’s practice centers on large-scale oil paintings that dwell in the moment just before abstraction becomes representation. Working from photographic sources, he distorts the image until only its underlying structure remains—an inherited geometry where composition, rhythm, and tension survive long after subject matter dissolves. The resulting works evoke a narrative persistence akin to myth: stories that endure even as their characters shift and fade.
His canvases are marked by luminous, often psychedelic color harmonies that coexist with pockets of meticulous, classical brushwork, producing paintings that are at once raw, refined, and emotionally charged.
Campbell has exhibited throughout Europe and the United States, including solo exhibitions at Casa del Popolo (Palazzo Chupi) in New York and Hansel, Gretel and Barbie on a Bike at Luce Gallery in Turin. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions across Europe and the U.S. In 2025 he presented work with Luce Gallery at Artissima and Untitled Miami Beach, and his next solo exhibition opens at Villa Magdalena 33 in Madrid (January 15–February 13, 2026).
ALESSANDRO GIANNI
b. 1989 Rome, Italy
In his work he collects aesthetic fragments from the web with the intention of giving them a new existence. In his artworks the analogical practice of painting merges with the use of new media, with the Internet and digital culture, investigating the connections between the digital universe, parallel universes, and the dreamlike and introspective world of human beings. In his research there are different types of works, both of a traditional nature (painting, drawing and sculpture), and of a technological nature (artificial intelligence, VR, video, animation, 3D printing). In 2019, he has created an artificial intelligence called “Vasari”, which is able to emulate his creative and conceptual process and can assist him in composing sketches.
Recent exhibitions include: Multiple Unrealities, Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong Wong Chuk Hang Space); Breaking Darkness, Tang Contemporary Art (Bangkok); Due to the Image, Postmasters Gallery (New York, USA); Post Me Generation, Tang Contemporary Art (Beijng); Global Song, Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong); Ineffable Worlds, Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong); Frammenti da lontano, Galleria Mazzoli (Modena); La linea retta non appartiene a Dio, Contemporary Cluster (Rome, Italy); II, Spaziomensa (Rome, Italy); Imprint, Sector 1 Gallery (Bucharest, Romania); He has exhibited in several institutions in Italy and abroad including: the American University Katzen Arts Center (Washington DC, USA); the residence of the Italian ambassador to the USA “Villa Firenze” (Washington DC, USA); the MAXXI museum (Rome, Italy); the MACRO museum (Rome, Italy); the House of Arms (Rome, Italy); the Swiss Institute of Rome (Italy); the Swiss Institute of Milan (Italy); Kühlhaus Berlin (Berlin, Germany); the Winter Museum (Siena, Italy), the Gardens of the Venice Casino (Venice, Italy). In 2020 he is one of the founders of Spaziomensa, an artist-run space created to enhance the Roman artistic ferment. He was art director in the EGH, a project whit Enrico Ghezzi and Emiliano Montanari inside the 73rd Venice Biennale of Cinema.
In 2024, he represents Italian painting in the exhibition The Power of Painting at the ENNOVA Art Museum (Langfang, Hebei, China), exhibiting alongside artists such as Marlene Dumas, Anish Kapoor, Bernard Frize, Christopher Le Brun, and Jörg Immendorff.
HIMBAD
b. 1983, Britain
HIMBAD graduated from Central Saint Martins in the UK. Traces of his work can be found worldwide, including New York, Miami, London, the Ibiza islands, Berlin, the Middle East, Pakistan, Tokyo, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, and Hangzhou… You may find his works inadvertently. He dives into our archetypal mind and reaches deep into the subconscious. His inspirations came from his study of Celtic, Greek, and eastern mythology. He adds a touch of his unique humour into his works. He has been actively involved in graffiti art creation since his artwork was presented at the Tate Modern in London in 2015 and has yearly exhibitions worldwide. In addition to graffiti art, he has participated in several crossover projects, such as snowboards, hoodies, and music.
ALICE HERBST
b. 1993, Stockholm, Sweden
Alice Herbst is an artist based in Stockholm. After frequently relocating during her childhood, she returned to Stockholm to study at the Stockholm School of Art and graduated from Gerlesborg School of Fine Art in 2017. Shortly after completing her studies, Herbst was invited to lecture at the Ferrari Design Center in Maranello, Italy, in recognition of her exceptional artistic vision.
Herbst’s practice is centered on figurative painting, characterized by a distinctive fusion of abstraction and realism. She frequently constructs props from everyday materials such as cardboard, paper, and fabric, arranging them within her compositions to animate the spatial and atmospheric qualities of her paintings. Like a set designer, she orchestrates these objects to encourage viewers to imagine unfolding narratives. Familiar objects, such as a cardboard sideboard or a flattened teacup, are transformed through unexpected materiality, sometimes mimicking real textures and other times emphasizing flatness or artificiality, inviting viewers to find their own meaning. Her attention to dress patterns and color schemes is evident throughout her work, and she occasionally positions herself within the scene, transforming into new characters. Through these approaches, Herbst continually explores the transformation of materials and the fluidity of identity.
Herbst’s work has been exhibited internationally and is held in collections worldwide, including the prestigious Collezione Maramotti in Italy. A former fashion model, she has also been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel, and the BBC. She currently lives and works in Stockholm, where she continues to expand the boundaries of figurative painting and challenge conventional notions within contemporary art.
ELEANOR JOHNSON
b. 1994, UK
Eleanor Johnson received a BA in History of Art from University College London (UCL) and an MA in Fine Art from the City & Guilds of London Art School. In 2019, she undertook a two-month residency at Palazzo Monti in Brescia, Italy, and in 2025 she was awarded First Prize in Jackson’s Art Prize. She currently lives and works in Oxfordshire, UK.
Johnson’s paintings are characterised by large canvases and vigorous gestures, combining references to classical painting with contemporary imagery. Early encounters with Old Master paintings and sculptures in Italy and France, as well as repeated visits to monumental works at the National Gallery in London, formed the foundation of her visual language. She developed her technique through careful observation and study of traditions ranging from Rubens to Matisse, beginning her large canvases with palettes drawn from Annibale Carracci or Nicolas Poussin, then layering them with contemporary imagery sourced from the internet. Rooted in myths and fairytales, her works often begin with a character or an atmosphere, gradually building multiple layers of imagery that encourage prolonged engagement and interpretation. The exuberance and fantastical qualities of Baroque paintings are strongly reflected in her pictorial sensibility.
More recently, Johnson has become aware of a distinctive aspect of her perception. Owing to a binocular vision condition, she perceives the world less in terms of three-dimensional depth and more as a series of overlapping planes. This visual trait informs the unique spatiality and dreamlike atmosphere of her compositions, where figures often occupy on a single plane. Expanding this into the theme of “unstable perception,” she seeks to convey the tension that exists on the threshold between wakefulness and sleep. Johnson’s works are held in private and institutional collections across the UK, the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Her practice, which traverses the classical and the contemporary, myth and perception, has garnered considerable recognition both within the art world and the art market.
RYAN MOSLEY
b. 1980, Chesterfield, England
Mosley makes paintings which draw inspiration from the cannons of Art History through a filter and process of making and remaking. The history of folklore and storytelling is never far away from the canvases Mosley creates.
A Carnivalesque band of characters inhabit the picture plane where familiar stories just created are as likely to be told in paint as ancient myths of Greek tragedy where the variations of myth stumble into the Commedia dell Arte the European street theatre, which in turn rub shoulders with characters found in Modernity’s spaghetti westerns.
Mosley is after all a storyteller, and we as the audience are no different from our ancestors who would gather around the camp fire listening to fable and tale pondering over what was happening and if that was at all possible.
In recent years Mosley has embarked on a series of new paintings where a mode of transport anchors the central protagonists and transports the narratives into a new environment. The familiar and vague again oscillating, foreground and background arrive at the surface where is this place? Who are these people on horseback? Though it is with the introduction of the timeless motif of a rowing boat that the enquiry into the universe Mosley creates is surely thrown wide open.
Mosley suggest the motif of the rowing boat came about accidently initially a figure stood on stage, the character seemed too rigid so as the figure and stage was erased the floor boards started to resemble the hollowed-out hull of a boat, this happy accident suddenly made the prospect of transporting narrative and reading of the character and geography they inhabit have endless possibilities.
Mosley says the design of a wooden rowing boat hasn’t changed in generations which goes hand in hand with the act of painting which hasn’t really changed in Millenia. Painting is as essential today as it ever has been maybe more so where we live in a world which is instant there is something reassuringly slowed down about making a painting and then looking and looking again.
ALICJA PAKOSZ
b. 1996, Tychy, Poland
Lives and works in Krakow, Poland
Pakosz is from Tychy and studied at the art academies in Kraków and Nuremberg. She practises painting and spatial elaborations of painting in the form of installations and dioramas. To date, she has held individual exhibitions at Galeria Piana in Kraków, the Kronika Centre for Contemporary Art in Bytom, and the Gdańsk City Gallery (together with Wiktoria Walendzik).
EDGAR PLANS
b. 1977, Madrid, Spain
Lives and works in Gijón, Spain
Edgar Plans categorized as the most popular Spanish contemporary artist, grew up and is now based with his family in the northern Spanish town of Gijón. After earning a degree in Art History from the University of Oviedo, Plans started to participate in small exhibitions in local galleries. As of today, his works have been exhibited in Museums such as the MMOMA Museum in Moscow, Russia, and the Xiao Museum in Rizhao, China.
Edgar Plans names graffiti, street art, comic books, illustrations, and animated films as major influences. Yet it is really his characters, which Plans describes as “Hero Animals,” which have helped the artist win popularity and a number of gallery shows around Spain. His work has found high demand on the secondary market in which his paintings have sold for six figures. Despite their vibrant color palette and cartoon-indebted aesthetics, Plans’s paintings tackle serious subject matter: with his animal heroes he intends to criticize gender violence, racism, and envy.
Plans has been featured in many solo shows at VILLAZAN, while working alongside Perrotin. His recent solo exhibitions include“August in Bloom”, Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, China, 2025; “Available Original Works under £20,000”, Clifton Gallery, London, UK, 2025; “Ritual, Trauma and allegory”, Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, China, 2025; Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China, 2025; “Magical Art World,” 55th Anniversary of Sesame Street, MIXC World, Shenzhen, China, 2025; “I am a Dreamer,” VILLAZAN, New York, (United States, 2024); “Heart of Fearlessness,” Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, (China, 2024); “In my Coffee Time,” S2A Museum, Seoul, (Korea, 2023); “My Daily News,” Booth Diario El País, Madrid, (Spain, 2023), etc. Recent group exhibitions include “In the Clouds,” VILLAZAN (Madrid, 2024); “Observation,” PERROTIN, Dubai, (UAE, 2022); “Kawaii,” Almine Rech Gallery, Shanghai, (China, 2021). He was also featured in Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, ART OnO Fair 2025, Tokyo Gendai 2024, Art Dubai 2023, Arco Madrid 2022, and Art Basel Miami Beach 2020, among others.
MARINELLA SENATORE
b. 1977, Cava de’ Tirreni , Italy
Now lives and work in Italy
Marinella Senatore (Cava de’ Tirreni, 1977) is a multidisciplinary artist trained in music, fine arts and cinema. Her practice is defined by a strong collective and participatory dimension that acts both as method and content, combining rigorous aesthetic research with the transformative power of social engagement. Through the use of traditional and vernacular language forms - including pop culture, dance, music, mass events - and activism, Senarore reflects on the political nature of collective formations and rituals and their possibility for social change, creating moments of encounter, sharing and workshops. Her works are based on a potentially infinite inclusion of elements: her approach acknowledges the surrounding context, in which the artworks become functional structures and create new ambiences through the use of multiple media: light installations, collage, textile and performance.
In 2012, Marinella Senatore created The School of Narrative Dance(SOND), a nomadic, free of charge, and non-hierarchical school that proposes an alternative educational system based on emancipation, empowerment, and self-education. With SOND, the artist creates platforms that invite often non-professional community members to create site-specific collective movements and storytelling activities, aligned with the collective rituals of public festivals and protests alike. The school’s activities vary according to their hosting space: in ten years, they have taken place in over 23 countries, involving about 8 million people.Since her training at the National Film School in Rome (where the artist studied direction of photography), light has always been a key element for the artist: “Light can prove to be a tool for narration and poetic creation, as well as for resistance and cohesion.”The large-scale light sculptures, handcrafted in Apulia, Italy, with LED bulbs and recycled materials, have been designed for public places, museums, and festivals worldwide. These “luminarie” have become a key, recurring element in Senatore’s production: particularly significant for their catalytic power, these ephemeral architectures create temporary spaces for rituals and socialization. Inspired by Southern Italy’s traditional illuminated decorations, they incorporate evocative quotes about empowerment and community building.
Senatore’s works have been commissioned and exhibited by Italian and international institutions alike, including: Hayward Gallery / Southbank Center, London; Noor, Riyadh; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Guarene; Berlinische Galerie; High Line, New York City; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; BAK Utrecht; Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; Kunsthaus Zürich; ICA, Richmond; Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal; Pearl Art Museum, Shanghai; Domaine Pommery, Reims; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid; Serpentine Gallery, London; Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago; Bozar, Bruxelles; Kunsthalle Sankt Gallen; Kastner Gesellschaft, Hannover; Museum der Moderne Salzburg; Museum VILLA STUCK, Munich; Kurgarten vor dem Kurhaus, Baden-Baden; FIAC Hors Les Murs at the Jardins des Tuileries, Paris; Steirischer Herbst’21, Graz; MAXXI, Rome; FORMAT Festival, Betonville, Arkansas; Kappa Futur Festival, Turin; Villa Borghese, Rome; Museo del Novecento, Milan; Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence; Museo Madre, Naples; Palazzo Grassi, Venice; M.A.C.C.A., Peccioli. The artist has participated in the following contemporary art biennials: Venice Biennale; São Paulo Biennial; Lyon Biennial; Thessaloniki Biennial; Liverpool Biennial; Athens Biennial; Havana Biennial; Gothenburg Biennial; Cuenca Biennial; Pune Biennial; South Tyrol Biennial; Bangkok Biennial; and Manifesta12, Palermo.
Senatore won numerous awards, such as: Premio Officina Arte Ducati, 2025; Lio Art Prize, 2023; ACACIA Prize 2021; Cantica21 Italian Contemporary Art Everywhere Prize; Cinello Unlimited Prize; Italian Council Award (4th and 7th editions); Evelyn Award; York Museum, UK; Art Grant - The Foundation of Arts and Music for Dresden, Germany, 2017; MAXXI and AMACI (Associazione dei Musei d’Arte Contemporanea Italiani) Prize, 2014; Castello di Rivoli Fellowship, 2013; American Academy in Rome Fellowship, 2012; Gotham Prize and 23rd M. Bellisario Prize, 2012; The New York Prize and Premio Terna, 2010; and Dena Foundation Fellowship, 2009
FRIDA WANNERBERGER
b. 1989, Sweden
Frida Wannerberger's works integrate reflections on the female identity and girlhood in a contemporary context through self-observation. In her portrait pieces, ethereal female figures adorned in elaborate clothing allow viewers to interpret the feminine qualities in her work freely, while also transforming the body into a tool for communicating ideas. The artist's living environment serves as the most influential visual inspiration, and her works focus on symbolism and visual clues, forming emotional biographical stories dominated by identity and institutions.
Frida Wannerberger has held solo exhibitions at the Haricot Gallery in London and the Kuiyuan Art Space in Shanghai. She has also participated in the 2023 Shanghai ART021 Art Fair and group exhibitions such as “Soft Core/Hard Core” (D Contemporary, London), “Inquiry to the Wall” (Tang Contemporary Art x Soul Art Center, Beijing), and “Look Mum No Hands” (9 French Place, London). Wannerberger's works have been collected by the Solo House in Stockholm.
VON WOLFE
b. 1966, Dartmoor, UK
Lives and works in London, UK
Von Wolfe has been influenced and attracted to German Romanticism, where he finds the “re-imagination” in a contemporary context most appealing – the intense “new philosophy” embodied in German art during the Romantic period has captivated him. For instances, the Romantic era's profound exploration of emotion and individualism, exemplified by artists like Casper David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge, as well as the color theory pioneered by Goethe, has deeply resonated with him.
While Von Wolfe appreciates the artistic movements of German Romanticism and French Neo-classicism, his interests span a broader spectrum. He is particularly drawn to eras rich in artistic character, such as the Renaissance and the Netherlands School of the 16th century. These historical periods, he explains, provide a wealth of stylistic and thematic elements that are ripe for reinterpretation in a contemporary context. By integrating these historical elements with the emotive depth of German Romanticism, Von Wolfe creates a tapestry of work that is both deeply rooted in history and distinctly modern.
It is this rich historical context that Von Wolfe seeks to reimagine and reinterpret through the lens of his contemporary artistic practice, which fuses traditional techniques with cutting-edge digital technologies. He utilizes algorithmic diffusion models and node-based AI systems to create works that transcend historical limitations, serving as a bridge between disparate eras. The artist navigates the intersection of the digital and the physical realms, adapting and reinterpreting meticulously curated artworks. He treats the digital and the canvas medium with equal reverence, rendering them seamlessly in oil paint to create harmonious and interconnected pieces.
. Von Wolfe has attended many international art fairs, such as Untitled Art Miami, Frieze Seoul, Kiaf Seoul, Tokyo Gendai, Art Basel. His solo exhibitions include "Oracle," Richard Heller Gallery, LA (U.S., 2024); “Processions of Orpheus,” Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, Moscow (Russia, 2018); “The School of Night,” SAATCHI GALLERY, London (U.K., 2018).