Sophie Heinrich’s (*1991 in Cologne; lives and works in Düsseldorf) artistic practice is focused on abstract painting. Her works adopt a reduced formal vocabulary, centred around colour, line and materiality. For her, painting is a means of visual and material thinking: it lends visible and sensory form to processes such as accident, decision-making and the exploration of uncertainty. Planes of clear colour contrast with organic lines and brushstrokes that taper off, layers of matt paint dissolve into the untreated canvas, while lacunae and ruptures inject rhythm into the pictorial surface.
During her stay in Istanbul Heinrich aims to explore the complex layers of the urban surroundings and to incorporate these impressions in her work, thereby further evolving her artistic vocabulary.

Jury statement:

“Sophie Heinrich considers painting not just as an image, but as a process-driven space for reflection and experience. The jury was swayed particularly by her approach to painting as an open system, sensitive to change, context and atmosphere. What also stood out was that her formal language, which only at first sight looks abstract, makes manifold references to the real world. We hope to see Heinrich’s attention and sensitivity to everyday impressions, historical sites and contemporary art in Istanbul exert exciting influences on her work.”

In his conceptual painting Björn Knapp (*1998 in Bensheim; lives and works in Düsseldorf) examines the influences of everyday life in the present and the impact of what historical documents and images of daily life in the past reveal about society, hierarchies, class culture and politics. He seeks to break with our universally inherent view of the body and our preconceptions of the lives of others in order to develop a perspective that is free of such determinants. Frequently with the sense of an insurmountable distinction between his own working-class origins and the way these are addressed in high culture, to which art in all societies belongs.
By contrast, in Istanbul Knapp would like to research everyday life elsewhere, exploring art and culture in local surroundings, while engaging with Orhan Pamuk’s novel The Museum of Innocence as a spatial manifestation of art in daily life and the urban setting. His research will give rise to drawings, painted collages and an artist’s book.

Jury statement:

“Björn Knapp’s artistic development to date is characterised by consistency, an eagerness to experiment and thematic complexity. The jury was persuaded by his distinctive approach to painting, which oscillates between figuration and abstraction. His pictorial language – critical yet equally poetic – defies simplistic interpretation and opens up associative realms of social and individual themes without ever being didactic. So we are excited to see how Knapp translates his concrete enterprise in Istanbul into painting.”

In her artistic practice Galina Dimitrova (*1985 in Sofia, Bulgaria; lives and works in Cologne) explores the interjunction of drawing, textile art and installation. This gives rise to expansive spatial works with textiles that lure viewers into a surreal world. Her use of semi-transparent fabrics such as chiffon allows her to foster a dialogue between reality and dream. The black lines of her drawings flow over from her extensive installations into long panels of material hanging on the walls. This shift from three- to two-dimensionality reveals the mutability of drawing and erases the boundaries between various media. During her stay in Istanbul the artist intends to further develop her work in the city’s rich cultural and historical environment.

Jury statement:
“What ultimately convinced the jury about Galina Dimitrova’s work was the original combination of drawing and textile art with which the artist extends the medium of drawing into spatial installations. Her exploration of the traditions of crafts and design in Turkey, which she is also expected to pursue in dialogue with local artists, promises to generate exciting developments in her work.”

Janis Löhrer (*1991 in Aachen; lives and works in Düsseldorf) creates drawings, tiled wall pieces and ceramic objects. In his compositions he explores figural forms and bodies that speak of queer desires and investigates shame and masculinity. He is constantly working on new figures, which he captures in sketches. During his stay in Istanbul, Löhrer is planning a new artist's book consisting of drawings made there. In addition, he intends to conduct research into Ottoman tile-making and Ottoman miniature painting. He aims to use the time outside the studio to immerse himself more deeply in the life and the unique atmosphere of Istanbul, and to develop a basic knowledge of the Turkish language, both spoken and written.

Jury statement:
“The jury was impressed above all by the variety of Janis Löhrer’s work, in both its thematic and formal range. As co-founder of the AURA art space in Düsseldorf, he will be seeking contact with the vibrant art scene in Istanbul. His plans to explore Ottoman miniature painting and queer culture in Istanbul promise an exciting artistic and aesthetic combination, offering wide-ranging insights into a modern, dynamic city.”