Contemporary art: still dominated by male "geniuses," but things are changing. Women are becoming stronger and stronger and are increasingly attracting the interest of museums and the art market.
Right at the forefront is installation artist and sculptor Alicja Kwade. She is one of the most exciting and sought-after artists in the world, and her international career is reaching a new peak. In 2019, she transformed the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and now Berlin is featuring her large showcase.
In her exhibition "In Absence", the artist is at the very center for the first time: Her heartbeat can be heard live and the walls are papered with her own DNA. Outside, a "specter" keeps watch - a shrouded Alicja Kwade made of bronze. For Arts.21, she now opens the doors of her gigantic studio in Berlin and grants an exclusive look behind the scenes.
Alicja Kwade is not only an artist, but also the manager of an art factory: with meticulous production processes for her expansive works that must be managed and an enormous logistical apparatus to overcome. The question remains: Is all of her success on the international art market a curse or a blessing?