„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.“
In her surrealistic collages Monika Alff puts contrasts into context and provokes the viewer to look at the big issues of our time from new perspectives. She explores power structures, asks questions, visualises thoughts.
Born into a working class family and raised in the Berlin of the 1970s and ’80s this environment shaped her early life and later influenced her art. After years of working in the social sector she embarked on a career in Cell Biology, whilst always making art, specifically collages, as a “hobby”.
Many decades later, after long periods of travel and the encouragement and support of her partner she studied at Cyprus College of Art in Larnaca. Collage is her main art form. It lends itself to surrealist expression and hopefully provokes questions in the viewer.
In addition to collage, Monika also creates (semi-)abstract paintings, sculptures made from various materials and the occasional installation. She also likes to repurpose objects thereby changing their narrative. Her process generally starts with random visual elements and through their juxtaposition a message then develops. During the process the message becomes more detailed and at times can take a different path.
Monika has worked, lived and/or exhibited in Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Canada and Spain. She now lives in Spain where she is vice president and founding member of a local cultural association.. www.instagram.com/coollagesma