Leiko Ikemura. In Praise of Silence

Source of the picture: Ludes Stiftung – Villa Jacobs Park / Work: White Sleep, 2010, ceramic, 15 x 27 x 18 cm © Leiko Ikemura and VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2023.

Opening: May 14, 2023, 4 p.m.
Artist talk with Leiko Ikemura and Martina Gedeck
Moderation: Dr. Lisa Zeitz, editor-in-chief of "Weltkunst"

In her new solo exhibition, Berlin-based artist LEIKO IKEMURA responds to the landscape garden of Villa Jacobs designed by Peter Joseph Lenné. She creates in-between worlds in which the invisible always slumbers. Ikemura's works are a metaphysical expression of an original natural space in which man, animal and plant are inseparable. In the park of Villa Jacobs, her sculptures blend uniquely with the topography and nature on the shores of Lake Jungfernsee.

The works chosen for the place reflect the central themes of Ikemura's oeuvre: her figures carry the origins of life and the ephemeral in equal measure. The works, which sometimes seem archaic, are borne by a concern for the future of nature and the threat to our living space.

Various large-format sculptures are on display, including the motif of the girl, which is prominently represented in the artist's work, either as a reclining figure or fragmented. They are incomplete forms, delicate and vulnerable, yet they convey an existential power. The quiet, introspective world of these figures attests to another guiding principle in Ikemura's work: the depiction of transitions between dream and reality, life and death, humanity and nature.

A highlight of the exhibition is the monumental work "Usagi Kannon," visible far across the waters of the Lake Jungfernsee. "Usagi" means hare in Japanese. In Japanese tradition, the hare is a good luck charm and a symbol of fertility. As a hybrid mythical creature, it occupies a significant role in Ikemura's work. Her "Usagi" embodies protection, tranquility and strength. It is also an expression of Ikemura's vision of a world in which all creatures exist in harmony with each other. Thus, this quiet creature also fits into the meditative character of the garden in an almost natural way. In the line of sight across the lake to the Glienicke Bridge, the luminous golden work is a visible part of Potsdam's cultural landscape from afar.

Complementing Ikemura's intervention in the park, glass sculptures, early works on paper, and an edition created on the occasion of the exhibition will be on view in the former engine house (Maschinenhaus). For the first time, the newly constructed Orangerie will also be used as an exhibition space - photographs from Ikemura's series "Flowers" will be shown.

Opening hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every Sunday
Public guided tours: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

An audio guide is offered for the exhibition, narrated by Martina Gedeck.

Sources: Villa Jacobs - Stiftung, Villa Jacobs - Veranstaltungen

 


Ludes Stiftung – Villa Jacobs Park
Bertiniweg 2
14469 Potsdam

tel. +49 (0)331-2014760
info@villa-jacobs.de

https://www.villa-jacobs.de/