Birgit Brenner on Working from Villa Massimo During Lockdown
Birgit Brenner, a German artist born in Ulm in 1964 and currently residing between Berlin and Stuttgart, reflects on her artistic practice during the COVID-19 lockdown from her residency at Villa Massimo in Rome. She was set to unveil a solo exhibition on March 18. Her artwork tackles social and political themes, integrating text and visuals across installations, films, and drawings to deepen her explorations. By placing narratives in intimate settings, she portrays figures as reflections of broader societal issues. Influenced by Jean-Luc Godard, Brenner utilizes fragmented storytelling and conceptualizes spatial installations as cinematic environments. Referencing Peter Greenaway's 'Drowning by Numbers' and quoting Randy Newman, she emphasizes that life's profound questions are often best illustrated through small narratives. This interview is featured in Artribune's pandemic series.
Key facts
- Birgit Brenner is a German artist born in 1964 in Ulm.
- She resides between Berlin and Stuttgart.
- She was in residency at Villa Massimo in Rome during the lockdown.
- Her exhibition at Villa Massimo was scheduled to open on March 18 but was postponed.
- Her work addresses political and social issues including social decline, loneliness, despair, fear, banking crisis, virtual reality, digitalization, and failure.
- She uses text and image in installations, films, and drawings to expand themes, not illustrate them.
- She employs fragmented narration inspired by Jean-Luc Godard.
- She cites Randy Newman's quote about 'the biggest questions of life' as key to her approach.
- Artribune's series previously featured Alfredo Pirri and Salvatore Iaconesi.
Entities
Artists
- Birgit Brenner
- Alfredo Pirri
- Salvatore Iaconesi
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Peter Greenaway
- Randy Newman
Institutions
- Villa Massimo
- Artribune
- Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg
- Kunsthalle Tübingen
- Dortmunder Kunstverein
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Berlin
- Stuttgart
- Germany
- Ulma
- Stoccarda
- Tubinga