Ina Marie Schmidt, Kai-Uwe Körner and Olaf Neopan Schwanke new members of the ASK
Information for the local media
As previously announced, artists hailing from the region or those who have a special connection with the Siegen area were once again able to apply for membership to the Workgroup this year. Last winter, as part of the exhibition "Blicke. Von Außen", the new members for 2007 Andrea Freiberg, Renate Hahn and Marc Baruth were introduced at Haus Seel alongside Jochen Dietrich, Margret Judt and Petra Oberhäuser.
The Siegerland Artists' Workgroup is delighted to welcome three new members this year:
Ina Marie Schmidt from Hamburg, Kai-Uwe Körner from Betzdorf and Olaf Neopan Schwanke from Siegen.
Around ten applications from artists from all over the region were reviewed during the early summer. Many of the applicants, including those from previous years, were and still are encouraged to reapply, as the community accepts a maximum of three artists each year and was therefore unable to send everyone positive news regarding their application. Nevertheless, the ASK was able to welcome Ina Marie Schmidt, a young talent born in Siegen (lives in Hamburg), and the versatile artist Olaf Neopan Schwanke from Siegen. With Kai-Uwe Körner, born in Darmstadt, another artist from neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate joins the group, which also marks the community's trend of finding members not only from the city of Siegen, but also from Siegen-Wittgenstein, the neighboring regions, as well as the neighboring federal states. The Workgroup is planning an exhibition of the new members' work for the municipal gallery Haus Seel in 2008. Ina Marie Schmidt will already be present at the Seh-Container project in Siegen in September.
The ASK is a regional association of artists who have a connection to the Siegerland and Wittgenstein region in their biography and/or work. A community and an association thrives on regular new admissions.
The ASK has existed for over 75 years and is not programmatically oriented. Its members have always been people with different artistic temperaments, working methods and objectives who have come together to engage in a dialog and to hold joint exhibitions. They want to support each other and create contacts that benefit the further development of both the group and the individual. This is complemented by the exchange of experiences during various exhibitions with similar artist groups at home and abroad. Works by the Workgroup and it's members can be seen regularly at the municipal gallery Haus Seel and at other venues in the region.
New members are welcome to join the ASK. Artists with a sphere of activity in the Siegen region, with a connection to the Siegerland or a bon with it can apply for membership. The prerequisite is proof of dedicated artistic work, regardless of the particular creative medium of the visual arts. In addition to painters, graphic artists, draughtsmen and sculptors, representatives of trans-classical processes and media are already among its members. The only decisive factor is the quality of the work, which must also be demonstrated by an ambitious exhibition program, among other things. Interest in active participation in the group and in joint exhibitions is a presumed.
The ASK reviews submitted applications once a year at its summer meeting. The next application window will take place in June 2009.
ASK - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Siegerländer Künstler e.V.
c/o Deutsche Bank Privat- und Geschäftkunden AG
Koblenzer Straße 7
D - 57072 Siegen
