Cologne-based sculptor Heike Weber won the last KUNST/MITTE Open Call and has worked as an independent artist since 2020, creating minimalist ceramic sculptures that explore the relationship between material, space, and movement. Guided by an intuitive dialogue with clay, her practice focuses on reducing form to its essentials while investigating how sculpture shapes space, and she is currently expanding this exploration through wall installations, experimental glazes, and new surface treatments.
You won the KUNST/MITTE Open Call last year. What motivated you to apply?
The Open Call was a wonderful opportunity to present my work to an independent jury of experts and to become part of a fair that is considered the leading contemporary art fair in central Germany. I saw KUNST/MITTE as an excellent platform to introduce my sculptures to a new audience of art enthusiasts and collectors.
How did you experience KUNST/MITTE in Magdeburg, and what makes the fair special for you?
I experienced KUNST/MITTE as a very personal and approachable art fair. The atmosphere was welcoming, and I particularly enjoyed the exchange with fellow artists and gallery owners. The fair brings together a wide range of artistic positions, creating a diverse overview of contemporary art while maintaining a personal character that is often missing at larger fairs.
What role do art fairs play in your artistic career today, and why would you recommend them to other artists?
Art fairs are much more than sales platforms. They certainly provide an opportunity to present one's work to a broad audience of potential buyers, but I find the personal exchange with artists, visitors, and gallerists equally valuable. These encounters often lead to long-term connections or even new collaborative projects.
Your ceramic sculptures appear surprisingly light and dynamic despite the heaviness of the material. What fascinates you about this contrast?
This very tension is what fascinates me throughout my creative process. I am less interested in the volume of a sculpture than in the question of how form creates space. The clear, static arch shape contrasts with a sense of movement and dynamism, and this interplay offers an exciting field of exploration. Clarity and lightness are central to my work—I would even say that one depends on the other.
From the first idea to the finished piece, the process is a long one. How does a new sculpture come into being, and what role does the material play?
A new sculpture does not begin with a fixed image of the final work, but rather with a question about the composition of the arches. Many decisions emerge only during the making process—in direct dialogue with the material.
For me, clay is not a material that can ever be completely controlled. Patience and a willingness to respond to its unique qualities are essential parts of the process. It is precisely this balance between planning and openness that makes the work so compelling. The finished sculpture is therefore always the result of a longer journey in which idea and material gradually become inseparable. After drying, the still-fragile piece is fired, and I then decide intuitively whether and how to apply a glaze. The surface plays a decisive role in shaping how the object conveys space, form, and lightness.
What are you currently working on, and what can we look forward to in the coming months?
At the moment, I am continuing to develop my series exploring the concept of space, with an even stronger focus on reducing form to its essentials. I am interested in how individual objects relate to one another and together create a larger spatial context, particularly through wall installations and sculptural series. At the same time, I am experimenting with new surface treatments, mixing glazes, and exploring new materials and raw components.