Dialog field 2 - Dialogfelder

Marie Donike und Johannes Specks

https://johannesspecks.de/

turning space into a place
In their shared artistic approach, Marie Donike and Johannes Specks examine cultural-historical aspects of cuisine and places of conviviality. They analyse the aesthetics of everyday life and imitate individual elements in order to place them in new artificial contexts. In this way, collective and individual memories are both used and created. A multimedia structure becomes a site-specific work, a walk-in installation, intervention and/or an interweaving of this with action.

Their approach is conceptual, interdisciplinary and process-oriented. In addition to conventional exhibition spaces, they also use spaces in problematic urban districts or the countryside for their consistently situation-specific works. In doing so, they imitate an everyday life that does not exist in reality, but is often transfigured and imagined. Marie Donike and Johannes Specks turn spaces into places where people come together. They use mimicry, everyday aesthetics and communal eating for their spatial installations to shed light on central human issues and offer a place for exchange. The inclusion of a diverse audience is achieved with a sensitive feeling and honest interest in the other person, sociability and humor. The focus is on the moment of reflection of the recipients, which is triggered by the specific situation. Her theoretical and practical approach also includes collecting and processing food, foraging, cooking, preserving and a multidisciplinary documentation and presentation of this.

Marie Donike (*1992), artist, lives in Cologne. She studied art history at the TU Dresden and the University of Vienna. Johannes Specks (*1991), artist, lives in Cologne. He studied fine arts at the HfBK Dresden. Together they have had exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Chemnitz, Heidelberg, Dresden, Cologne, Berlin, Kassel, Norway and Japan.

Marie Donike und Johannes Specks

https://johannesspecks.de/

turning space into a place
In their shared artistic approach, Marie Donike and Johannes Specks examine cultural-historical aspects of cuisine and places of conviviality. They analyse the aesthetics of everyday life and imitate individual elements in order to place them in new artificial contexts. In this way, collective and individual memories are both used and created. A multimedia structure becomes a site-specific work, a walk-in installation, intervention and/or an interweaving of this with action.

Their approach is conceptual, interdisciplinary and process-oriented. In addition to conventional exhibition spaces, they also use spaces in problematic urban districts or the countryside for their consistently situation-specific works. In doing so, they imitate an everyday life that does not exist in reality, but is often transfigured and imagined. Marie Donike and Johannes Specks turn spaces into places where people come together. They use mimicry, everyday aesthetics and communal eating for their spatial installations to shed light on central human issues and offer a place for exchange. The inclusion of a diverse audience is achieved with a sensitive feeling and honest interest in the other person, sociability and humor. The focus is on the moment of reflection of the recipients, which is triggered by the specific situation. Her theoretical and practical approach also includes collecting and processing food, foraging, cooking, preserving and a multidisciplinary documentation and presentation of this.

Marie Donike (*1992), artist, lives in Cologne. She studied art history at the TU Dresden and the University of Vienna. Johannes Specks (*1991), artist, lives in Cologne. He studied fine arts at the HfBK Dresden. Together they have had exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Chemnitz, Heidelberg, Dresden, Cologne, Berlin, Kassel, Norway and Japan.

Katariin Mudist

https://www.instagram.com/katariin.mudist/?hl=de

Katariin Mudist (b. 1994) is an estonian artist exploring the multifaceted nature of humanity and its manifestations our social world. Her practice combines humor and irony to examine societal norms, value systems, and materiality.

She is currently studying in the Craft Studies MA program at the Estonian Academy of Arts, where she is working on the intersection of visual and material-based art. She holds a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art (EKA, 2022) and a degree in Media and Advertising Design (Pallas University, 2018).

She is a member of the Estonian Artists' Association, the Estonian Association of Young Contemporary Artists, and the Association of Estonian Printmakers. Her recent exhibitions include “Slugs Like Us” at the HOP Gallery (2024) and “Sisters have sisterhood” at ARS Project Space (2024) with Johanna Mudist). Her latest exhibition at Tartu Art House (2025) focused on recognition in the art world and society more broadly (“Unfortunately, You Were Not Selected This Time”, with Keithy Kuuspu).

Katariin Mudist

https://www.instagram.com/katariin.mudist/?hl=de

Katariin Mudist (b. 1994) is an estonian artist exploring the multifaceted nature of humanity and its manifestations our social world. Her practice combines humor and irony to examine societal norms, value systems, and materiality.

She is currently studying in the Craft Studies MA program at the Estonian Academy of Arts, where she is working on the intersection of visual and material-based art. She holds a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art (EKA, 2022) and a degree in Media and Advertising Design (Pallas University, 2018).

She is a member of the Estonian Artists' Association, the Estonian Association of Young Contemporary Artists, and the Association of Estonian Printmakers. Her recent exhibitions include “Slugs Like Us” at the HOP Gallery (2024) and “Sisters have sisterhood” at ARS Project Space (2024) with Johanna Mudist). Her latest exhibition at Tartu Art House (2025) focused on recognition in the art world and society more broadly (“Unfortunately, You Were Not Selected This Time”, with Keithy Kuuspu).

02.06.2025 Start dialogue field 2
Dialog field 2
We welcome Johannes Specks, Marie Donike and Katariin Mudist
It’s that time again – the second Dialogue Field has started!
We are looking forward to entering the next round together with our new artists in residence and would like to take a brief look back at our Welcome Days.

On the first evening of the residency programme, the artist duo Johannes Specks and Marie Donike (Cologne), Katariin Mudist (Tallinn) and Viet Phuong Nguyen (TIEV) met for dinner together as the local artistic position. In a relaxed atmosphere, there was the opportunity to get to know each other for the first time. Afterwards, they went to the Czech pub U Brambory, where they continued their dialogue over a drink. The evening was rounded off with a short tour of the city together – a first impression of Chemnitz city centre up to Sonnenberg.

The second day started with a city tour of Kaßberg, organised by Start with a Friend. The initiative brings together people from different walks of life and is committed to diversity and solidarity. Afterwards, we were able to attend Start with a Friend ‘s open meeting on the Küchwaldwiese, where we played games together and enjoyed a relaxed get-together.

The third day began with a visit to the Schlossbergmuseum Chemnitz, where the exhibition “The New City” is on display – an opportunity to take a look at the city’s development. Later in the afternoon, the volunteers from the Chemnitz Capital of Culture took over the city tour and showed the artists-in-residence places that they find important or where they like to spend time: the Weltecho, the Pioneer Pavilion, the Chemnitz vaults, the Dancing Stones fountain, the former Kaßberg Prison learning and memorial centre and the Aaltra. Personal stories, spontaneous conversations and new perspectives on Chemnitz awaited us everywhere.

Over the next five weeks, Johannes Specks & Marie Donike, Katariin Mudist and Viet Phuong Nguyen will develop their impressions and encounters into artistic concepts that will be presented on 21 June. We are already looking forward to it!
09.05.2025 Introducing – Viet Phưong Nguyen
Dialog field 2
local spin-off

Viet Phuong Nguyen (TIEV), on the one hand a journeyman with three years of training as a ceramist and on the other hand part of the self-taught art collective BIKINI KOMMANDO. These formative periods of his life, which emphasise his appearance as an artistic ceramist from both a craft and artistic perspective, could hardly be more contradictory in their combination.

TIEV’s works contain a recognisable rigour of craftsmanship, which at the same time finds contradiction in his childlike defiance of the outdated image of ceramics. The process of his creations is always planned from spontaneity, experimenting and testing new and old techniques, such as baking.