COMMON GROUND 2

Janet Mueller, Rita Zurbrügg, Gabi Deutsch, Lisa Pohl, Georg Bringolf, Thea Kuta, Moni Schori, Talaya Schmid, Natascha Madeiski, Benjamin Solt, Louisa Behr, Tanja Roscic, Manutcher Milani, Nadine Reichmuth

The encounters happen day in, day out—everyday life, conversations, inspiration, and perhaps even materials are shared. Each day spent in the studio, glances wander over the working processes of the other artists. Do fleeting perceptions and the surrounding atmosphere of artistic creation subtly seep into one’s own process? By collaborating for COMMON GROUND II and gradually building towards a shared exhibition that reflects both artistic collectivity and individuality, the artists highlight the value of their studio community. I find that encouraging—in light of our current reality, there is nothing more powerful than a common ground.

The first feeling that caught up with me after my initial visit to the studio collective was openness. It wasn’t just about presenting one’s own work—right from the start, the aim was to create collaborative pieces as well. Could one borrow a skill or an object from someone else? This could lead to symbioses and correspondence between the different artistic practices. What I find particularly fascinating is the question of how individual works might merge into an exhibition within a collaborative space without losing their autonomy.

In the early stages, I pictured the outcome as a kind of assemblage of different materials, media, and styles, in which I could still spot each artist’s individual signature. The blurring of boundaries between different disciplines is also intended to be a key strength of the exhibition. While that may be true, I still wonder how much weight the classification into disciplines should carry in a group exhibition that is ultimately about the formation of a common ground. I want to weave my accompanying text into the whole piece, too.

As we move forward, we describe COMMON GROUND II as a landscape, a salon, or a garden—a place where the artistic works meet and interact with one another. It turns out, however, that the exhibition might consist more of works existing side by side rather than fully intertwined. Still, two individual pieces could—without warning—merge into one. Talaya wants to respond to the others and does so by adding tufted elements to a chair created by Moni. Moni, in turn, contributes a modular spatial installation that adds a scenographic accent—one that others are, of course, welcome to use. Georg, Thea Kuta, and Moni are jointly creating a soundscape for a video. Gabi distributes hook-shaped ceramics throughout the space like architectural elements, simultaneously inviting the other artists to actually use them as hooks. Thea Kuta installs a kind of lounge area, which quite literally becomes a “common ground”. Lisa responds to the other exhibited works through her choice of form and material, and Janet addresses the artistic process itself through painting. She also responds to a large-scale geometric wall painting by Benjamin.

Looking back now, what really defines COMMON GROUND II feels like more than just an assemblage of artistic disciplines. It’s about creating a common space marked by mutual respect for each other’s practices. What’s striking is that none of us explicitly aimed for this, nor was it a focus of discussion during our meetings. The attitude feels ingrained in the studio collective, which makes the outcome of the exhibition all the more authentic.

By Louisa Behr