The abstract artist Steffen Mischke is the second guest at KOREN Residency

A few days ago, the German artist Steffen Mischke arrived in Bulgaria to take part in the second edition of the creative residency Koren. The artist will spend a week in the picturesque village of Bov, located in the Murgak section of the Balkan Mountains. The intention of the collaborative project between Levakov and Visionary is to present an annual curated format that features established artists with a main focus on abstract painting & mural creation, as part of Visionary's creative program.

The second edition of KOREN will culminate in his solo exhibition - the first one for Mischke in Bulgaria. The opening is on June 15th at Depoo Gallery and the audience will be able to enjoy the works created during the artistic residency until June 22nd.

The excitement and anticipation are really high, share the organizers, because Koren is an initiative with a focus on the process of creativity, experimentation and discovery, and Mischke is defined as one of the dynamically developing contemporary artists. His work employs moments of abstract expressionism, diverse elements of successive movements such as the gestures of Neue Wilden and subcultural art phenomena from the 1980s and 1990s. Anarchic explosions of colour and line interweave in combinations of textures and shapes in Mischke's work. His expressive brushstrokes contrast with the tachistic and formally clearly structured surface elements, resulting in an energetic and dynamically charged pieces. The superimposed layers of disparate textures build a certain rhythm in his compositions.

Mischke explores multimedia techniques in his work, some of which include photography, installation and ephemeral sculptures in public spaces. He is always looking for new effects to add and develop, experimenting with a wide variety of painting materials - whether acrylic, spray or oil pastel. In this way, many of his works are brought out again and again, and assigned to a continuous process of development. Through his participation in the Koren artist residency, Mischke will realize a number of works in solitude and influenced by the mystical and majestic nature of the Western Rockies that will complement and build upon his artistic explorations.

More about the artist: https://www.steffenmischke.de 

You can follow his creative process here: https://www.instagram.com/koren.residency/ 

Photos: Magdalena Dudova

Text: Lilia Varadinova

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KOREN is a collaboration between Visionary x Atanas Levakov x Magdalena Dudova.

Curator: Atanas Levakov

In 2023, KOREN residency is organized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, the Program for Restoration and Development of Private Cultural Organizations, the Zinger-Zahariev Foundation and in partnership with SuperHosting.BG.