LOS ANGELES, CA.- Neutra VDL House is presenting Veronika Kellndorfer Dialogue with Silver Lake Metabolism of Architecture, a site-specific exhibition by artist Veronika Kellndorfer currently on view at the VDL House.
Veronika Kellndorfer's exhibition at the VDL House in Silverlake draws inspiration from her residency at the VDL Research House. Through her exploration, she investigates how architecture encapsulates historical narratives and translates remnants of the past into captivating images of architectural spaces. Within her work, she challenges the concept of representation and explores the transformative potential of art in capturing the essence of architecture. This series of new works is a direct response to the context, history, and design of the Neutra VDL House, following Kellndorfer's in-depth research in March 2022.
The Neutra VDL House, designed by the influential Richard Neutra, stands as an embodiment of the mid-century modernist movement. Neutra revolutionized the integration of built structures with the natural environment, erasing the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. Water elements were seamlessly incorporated into the building's design, fostering an engaging dialogue between the structure and its surrounding landscape. Kellndorfer's artistic intervention takes the form of freestanding glass sculptures that mirror and reflect the watery surfaces of the Neutra VDL House. Through imprinted silkscreened images, she skillfully captures the interplay of light and shadow, forging a dynamic connection between the architectural elements and the environment.
In her artistic process, Kellndorfer deconstructs elements of both architectural and botanical structures, rearranging them in novel constellations that challenge the traditional hierarchy between architectural modernity and nature. Her work evokes a dialogue between geometric and organic forms. Embracing the ephemeral and ever-changing nature of art, she creates pieces that exist at the intersection of art and architecture. Far beyond being a simple representation of architecture, her work engages in a captivating process of "reverse engineering."
Additionally, Kellndorfer pays homage to the historical significance of the VDL Neutra House, which tragically succumbed to a devastating fire in March 1963. In a poignant tribute to the lost structure, she employed a drone that carried a burning model of the original VDL House, hovering over Silver Lake. This artwork adds profound meaning to the architect's private spaces and prompts contemplation on the intricate relationship between "image" and "real space" in the present moment.
Veronika Kellndorfer participated in an artist talk at the VDL House, joined by architect and educator Mark Lee of Johnston Marklee. They discussed how Kellndorfer's residency at the VDL House influenced the creation of her site-specific artworks, exploring the significance of the house and its historical context. The conversation provided valuable insights into the interplay between art and architecture, enhancing the viewers' understanding of Kellndorfer's exhibition and its connection to the Neutra VDL House.
Veronika Kellndorfer (Berlin) is a visual artist. She transfers her photographs of architecture and plants as silkscreen prints fired into glass. With transparency, reflection, and opacity, she uses the materiality of glass and textiles to make visible the thought-provoking potentials and aesthetic appearance of architectural icons. She is currently working on a solo exhibition at VDL Neutra House, Los Angeles, 2023, and has most recently been represented at Neue Nationalgalerie, 2023 Mies Van der Rohe Haus, 2020, and original Bauhaus exhibition, 2019 in Berlin. On Lina Bo Bardi, she showed works at the Curitiba Biennial at Museu Oscar Niemeyer, 2019, the National Museum Oslo, 2017, Christopher Grimes Gallery, 2016, Casa de Vidro, São Paulo, 2015 and Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, 2014. In Los Angeles she held exhibitions at the USC Verle Annis Gallery in 2003, at the Hammer Museum in 2008, and 2006-2018 at the Christopher Grimes Gallery and the Getty Center in 2019.
Dialogue with Silver Lake, Metabolism of Architecture is organized by artist Veronika Kellndorfer, the Neutra VDL House under the directorship of Noam Saragosti, and Christopher Grimes Projects.
The Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a National Historic Landmark and house museum devoted to cultivating education, architecture, and art.
