Was mit Kunst - Ein Podcast von und mit Johann König

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with British artist Julian Opie, whose monumental solo exhibition is currently on view at KÖNIG GALERIE, taking over all spaces at St. Agnes, including the courtyard and sculpture garden, with several works designed especially for the unique architecture of the building, forging a powerful dialogue between art and space. Known for his distinctive graphic language and bold reduction of form, Opie shares how his practice has evolved over three decades—drawing from everyday life, historical art forms, and the visual codes of the modern city. In this candid conversation, he reflects on his early influences, the impact of his upbringing in Oxford, and his decision to follow a non-scientific path before studying art at Goldsmiths in London. At the heart of Opie’s work is a deep engagement with the act of looking—both outward, at the world, and inward, through memory and repetition. As he puts it, “To draw is not just a matter of putting your hand out into the world… it’s also drawing information into your brain and understanding the world.” His exhibition at KÖNIG GALERIE transforms the vast space of St. Agnes into a stylized urban landscape—populated by animated LED schoolchildren, towering steel sculptures, and portraits rendered like diagrams or logos. Together, he and Johann König discuss how drawing acts as a universal language, why collecting is an essential part of being an artist, and how the process of refining and repeating one's ideas over time becomes a form of discovery. They also delve into the symbolism of towers, the emotional weight of materials, and how motion and architecture intersect in his current work. The exhibition—his first with KÖNIG GALERIE—draws inspiration from ancient Egyptian reliefs, contemporary street life, corporate iconography, and presents a walkable environment where past and present, high and low, static and moving forms coexist. “I’m trying to find a language,” he says, “that rings true.” Learn more about the artist HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/collections/julian-opie] View the exhibition HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/blogs/exhibitions/julian-opie]

In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König sits down with Canadian painter Erin Armstrong, whose vivid, emotionally charged exhibition TRIAL BY FIRE is currently on view at KÖNIG TELEGRAPHENAMT. Known for her surreal figurative worlds, Armstrong speaks candidly about the disorienting beauty and chaos of simply being alive—a sensation she tries to translate into her paintings. Her work explores the emotional landscape of womanhood, vulnerability, and resilience through recurring symbols like balancing spheres, dense jungle foliage, and symbolic figures that serve as placeholders for mood rather than identity. As Armstrong puts it, “I never really paint literal people … it’s just from imagination based on the way I am feeling.” Together, she and Johann König discuss the evolution of her practice, her resistance to traditional art school pathways, and the moment she returned to painting after a four-year detour into history studies. They also reflect on imposter syndrome in the art world and the paradox of success—how staying humble is key to artistic growth. The episode touches on deeply personal and political themes, including Armstrong’s reflections on the oppressive climate for women in North America today. Her exhibition TRIAL BY FIRE presents a hauntingly symbolic vision of contemporary womanhood—nude figures hiding in the jungle, teetering on spheres, caught between visibility and exposure, strength and fragility. “They’re showing that they’re in states of chaos,” Armstrong says, “or they’re in worlds where it’s feeling like something other is happening.” Learn more about the artist HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/collections/erin-armstrong] View the exhibition HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/blogs/exhibitions/erin-armstrong-trial-by-fire]

In this re-air episode of WAS MIT KUNST, we revisit Johann König's conversation with Belgian contemporary artist Arne Quinze, whose work once emerged from graffiti and has since evolved into a powerful, multidisciplinary exploration of the fractured relationship between humanity and nature. Known for transforming urban environments with monumental public installations, Quinze's practice spans painting, sculpture, and immersive environments. Now, as Arne Quinze has just opened his solo exhibition RAW PARADISE at KÖNIG BERGSON, we are re-airing this episode to revisit the ideas that continue to shape his practice. Originally recorded ahead of his participation in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, the conversation explores themes that remain central to RAW PARADISE—his deep engagement with nature, his evolution from street art to environmental installations, and his use of diverse materials like bronze, ceramics, and Murano glass to express nature's wild energy and fragile equilibrium. In the episode, Quinze shares his journey from rebellious street artist to visionary sculptor and painter. They discuss his deepening dialogue with natural forms, his collaborations with renowned studios like Berengo (Murano glass) and Atelier Vierkant (ceramics), and his call to reimagine our cities as living ecosystems. Learn more about the artist HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/collections/arne-quinze] View the exhibition HERE [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/blogs/exhibitions/arne-quinze-raw-paradise]

In dieser Episode von WAS MIT KUNST spricht Johann König mit der Künstlerin Elvira Bach, deren Arbeiten aktuell in der Gruppenausstellung GUTEN MORGEN, DU SCHÖNE bei König Telegraphenamt zu sehen sind. Elvira Bach (* 1951 im Taunus), gehört zu den Vertreterinnen der in den 80er-Jahren gegründeten Künstlergruppe der „Neuen Wilden“. Ihre expressive Malweise mit einem mutigen Farbeinsatz machte Bach, Jahrgang 1951, zum Vorbild für viele Künstlerinnen. Sie hatte bei Hann Trier in Berlin studiert, und hatte seit 1978 eine Vielzahl an Einzelausstellungen, u. a. in Berlin, New York, London, Paris, Basel und Madrid. Bachs Werk stellt die Frau in den Mittelpunkt, dargestellt in Ganzkörper-, Dreiviertel- oder Halbporträts. High Heels, Lippenstift, Puderdosen, Zigaretten, Erdbeeren, langstielige Rotweingläser und andere Objekte werden zu Symbolen der Weiblichkeit erhoben und avancieren in ihren Gemälden zum Markenzeichen der Künstlerin. Sie erschafft einen Prototyp der Weiblichkeit, den sie in vielfältigen Variationen neu interpretiert. Im Podcast unterhalten sich Johann König und Elvira Bach über die Laufbahn der Künstlerin, ihre unverwechselbare künstlerische Sprache und über das dominierende Motiv in Bachs Arbeiten: die Frau. Mehr zur AUSSTELLUNG [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/blogs/exhibitions/group-show-guten-morgen-du-schoene] © Portrait Elvira Bach fotografiert von Marion Schult

In der neuen Folge von WAS MIT KUNST spricht Johann König mit dem deutsch-britischen Künstler Michael Müller, der sich in seinem Werk immer wieder mit der Ästhetik und Visualisierung komplexer Gedanken auseinandersetzt. Die beiden unterhalten sich über Michael Müllers frühen Einstieg in die Kunstwelt und seine konzeptuelle Herangehensweise, die ihn bereits mit den unterschiedlichsten Medien arbeiten ließ. Nach zwanzig Jahren, in denen sich der Künstler vor allem dem Schreiben und installativen Arbeiten widmete, kehrte er zwischen 2013 und 2014 zur Malerei zurück. Diese bildet den Schwerpunkt seiner ersten Einzelausstellung in der KÖNIG GALERIE. Unter dem Titel FRAGMENTE DER ZEIT vertieft er seine malerische Auseinandersetzung mit dem antiken griechischen Mythos der Dioskuren, die er 2022 mit der raumfüllenden Malereiinstallation „Der geschenkte Tag“ im Frankfurter Städel Museum begann. Die Ausstellung fällt mit einer groß angelegten Installation im Neuen Museum auf der Museumsinsel in Berlin zusammen. Müller entfaltet in dunklen Farben eine vielschichtige und anspielungsreiche künstlerische Reflexion über die Bedeutung von Zeit, Sterblichkeit und überzeitliche Liebe, die beharrlich die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Abstraktion abwägt und die entscheidende Frage stellt: Kann ein abstraktes Kunstwerk eine Geschichte erzählen? Mehr Infos über den KÜNSTLER [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/collections/michael-mueller] Mehr zur AUSSTELLUNG [https://www.koeniggalerie.com/blogs/exhibitions/michael-mueller-fragmente-der-zeit]