Navigating the Spectrum of Imagination
Peter Backhaus | Donat Kamber | Jonathan „Ollio“ Josefsson | Elsbeth Pluimers
In the upcoming exhibition “Convergence of Echoes”, which will take place from December 2nd to December 22nd 2023, we will enter an area where the impressive human experience meets the boundless landscapes of imagination, spanning the temporal divide from the present to the depths of the Anthropocene.
The exhibition brings together four visionary artists – Peter Backhaus, Donat Kamber, Jonathan “Ollio” Josefsson and Elsbeth Pluimers – who each delineate different areas, but which come together on a common ground: the search for understanding beyond the surface, through time, space and soul.
Peter Backhaus sets the rhythm of this symphony with his philosophically-inspired art, with paintings that embody inner visions that transcend time and space. His art, rooted in trauma work, radiates an otherworldly silence in the face of chaos and offers a spiritual awakening that reflects the complexity of the human psyche.
Juxtaposed with Backhaus’s introspective stillness is Donat Kamber’s expansive narrative captured through the lens of a camera. Kamber’s photographic odyssey in the rapidly transforming landscapes of China bridges time, connecting the echoes of a vanishing past with the surge towards modernity. His “China Collection” is an homage to memory and change, a visual tale of cultures and traditions on the cusp of the new world.
Jonathan “Ollio” Josefsson translates the vibrancy of urban street art into the tactile world of textiles. His hand-tufted carpets are a dance of colours and forms, a “formless form” that appeals to the soul of improvisation. Ollio’s transformation from a graffiti artist to a textile virtuoso symbolizes the adaptability of art forms, from the walls of Gothenburg to the intimate spaces of the home, blending the transient with the permanent.
Finally, Elsbeth Pluimers brings a sculptural dimension to our meeting by anchoring the exhibition in the geological concept of the Anthropocene. Pluimers’ sculptures are tales of bronze, glass and ceramics that resonate with the ecological urgency of the era. They embody the transformative power of art to comment on and perhaps change the ecological path of humanity.
The opening ceremony will begin on December 2nd at 7 p.m. with a welcome speech by Jasmin Eikmeier, known for her lively presentations, who will enrich the event as moderator. Following the welcome and introduction, Dr. Davood Khazaie (literary critic and international curator of Pashmin Art) will give the opening speech and will travel with the visitors of the “Convergence of Echoes” through thematic zones in which the manifold interpretations of time, existence and transformation unfold. It is a journey that promises not only to show the breadth of human creativity, but also to provide a common space for reflection on our place within the carpet of life.
