Galeria Pelaires takes great pleasure in presenting Wahlverwandschaften (Elective Affinities). This is the first joint exhibition by Jorinde Voigt and Christian Jankowski. Over 40 works of art have been selected, including samples of Voigt and Jankowski's most significant work from the last decade.
This event, which is being held in Palma, is the realisation of an idea which they had been considering for quite some time. The joint venture has not come about merely by chance, or as an exercise of conceptual, or formal, rapprochement between two individuals, but rather as an expression of emotional fusion, far from exempt from tension, and also a reflection of their personal relationship and their collective approach to art, creativity, and thought processes.
The title, " Wahlverwandtschaften" which translates as "Elective Affinities" (Afinidades Electivas in Spanish), refers to the book of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. For Germans, this word suggests the idea of belonging to a family, home, or group. Mallorca is appropriately chosen as a venue due to the fact that it is considered by many Germans as their "home" away from home.
Over the course of 10 years, as their relationship developed and they exchanged their artistic know-how, they eventually decided to establish an open and honest dialogue, understanding each other as an intellectual, creative, and even physical, extension of the other. They have been mutually supportive of one another's art in the past.
Separately, their work would function in their own manner, given an individual context. However, here at Pelaires it has been brought together and "blended" - at times even in contact with the other, becoming a single piece to the viewer. Their similarities, common concepts, and themes are clearly appreciated, as well as the birth of a "new" connection, as a result of this fusion.
Perhaps this connection is mostly appreciated in some of Voigt's drawings where the vigorous, dynamic movements correlate to Jankowski's "fighters". Furthermore, there are obvious allusions to Voigt's work in Jankowski's "Night Lamps", which focuses on music, literature and philosophy all of which are common denominators to both artists.
