„I am originally from Berlin, and when I lived here, I embraced the city’s nightlife and culture. Decades later, I have visited and lived in many different cities. Coming back to my home city for the Berlinage residency made me contemplate the importance of culture for a city. It’s an essential part! A city without culture would be like a human without a soul. It keeps it alive. Of course, culture changes over time, but in many aspects of cultural life, you can find remnants from the culture of times gone by, carrying a history whilst looking forward without ever stopping. This is what I am hoping to express in these works created during the residency. Can you imagine a city without culture?
In preparation for the residency, I came up with the idea of the ‚City of Dystopiana‘, an imaginary city that is controlled by its centre, void of humans, whilst in its districts life appears to continue as usual. This resulted in the little installation Dystopiana.“
Monika is a visual artist originally from Berlin. Before concentrating on art she had a career in Cell Biology. For the last three decades she has lived and worked in Scotland, Germany, Cyprus and the Netherlands. She studied at Cyprus College of Art, has travelled extensively and have made art and exhibited in many countries. Now living in Spain, she has recently co-founded a cultural association with friends.
“ My collage work is often initiated by ‚randomness‘ – random events, random juxtapositions, random thoughts. A lot of my pieces comment on politics and society i.e. distribution of power, feminism, social injustice. I consider collage a perfect medium to express these ideas, allowing me to explore ambiguities in a way that feels natural to my random approach. I am also inspired by surrealism and enjoy creating work that leaves people a bit perplexed or amused. I hope people are encouraged to see their own meanings and find their own stories when viewing my work”
In addition to collage, Monika also sometimes creates (semi-)abstract paintings, sculptures made from various materials—including recycled ones—and the occasional installation. www.instagram.com/coollagesma