Vanessa Niederstrasser

Artist Statement

ONE-LINER: I ask people what a deeper human conversation would feel like by exploring American symbols.

NAME OF SERIES: Star Spangled Manner

ARTIST STATEMENT: I am driven by a inner demand of exercising painting daily. My theme developed when I moved to America from Germany in 2011, I immediately noticed the triangle and diamond shapes that are used as warning and caution signs here. I had always been interested in pointed forms, and my background in architecture led me to start using these warning shapes to create paintings with exact measurements and straight lines.

The diamond and star have become my voice in this country. They are partially a response to my new environment here, and partially a continuance of my past.

These symbols of caution are everywhere here: street signs, carpool signs, cones, pennants, marks on the street, manhole covers. I feel overloaded with warning signs. It feels overdone to me—protecting people from something.

Sometimes I think these caution signs are making us dumb because we have lost the need to see danger for ourselves.

Surrounded by instructional signs, I feel we lose the ability to think for ourselves. We begin to act like robots, machines. I take the shapes out of their usual context and transfer them into something new to ask people to think for themselves again. The work is pushy and aggressive. I use diamond shapes to create fences of zigzags and ups and downs. I choose to use gray to calm this aggressiveness, and to show the calm, quiet nature of those who follow the warning signs.

Sometimes I make a sign out of my last name on the canvas. It represents my own search for identity in a new country. I am expected to follow the signs. I am expected not to question. And I feel trapped by these expectations.

Artist Biography

1971 born in Wuppertal, Germany
Education
2008
•Highest Honor Nomination “Meisterschüler” of I. Kamp
2003 – 2008
•Fine Arts under I. Kamp at the Academy of Fine Arts Dusseldorf, Germany, finished with the degree of Master of Fine Arts (Akademiebrief Diploma)
2001 – 2003
•Baukunst under L.Ortner at the Academy of Fine Arts Dusseldorf, Germany
1996 – 2001
•Architecture at the University of Wuppertal, Germany, finished with degree of Master in Engineering

Awards/Scholarships
2017
•Dave Bown Projects 13th Semiannual Competition kuratiert von Helga Christoffersen, Assistant Curator, New Museum, New York; and Kelly Kivland, Associate Curator, Dia Art Foundation, New York – http://davebownprojects.com/Vanessa_Niederstrasser.html
2014
•Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, Georgia, USA: 3rd place winner for Metro Montage IX Exhibition
2009
•Art Award: New placement on an orphaned base Wuppertal/Germany
2008
•Scholarship from the City of Düsseldorf: Artist in Residence to Ein Hod/Israel
2007
•Support Art Award for painting of PSD Bank Düsseldorf/Germany
2006
•Support Art Award of Deutsche Bank AG including realization
2004
•Scholarship trip from DAAD to Japan

Solo Exhibitions
2019
•Museum der Stadt Siegburg, Germany (upcoming)
2014
•Museum Abbey Kamp, County of Kamp Lintfort, Germany
2013
•Sabaki Space, Contemporary Art Gallery Frank Gerlitzki, Guangzhou, China
2011
•Museum Abbey Liesborn, County of Warendorf, Germany
2009
•Galerie Samuelis Baumgarte, Bielefeld, Germany
2008
•Galerie Winkelmann, Düsseldorf, Germany •Galerie Koch, Hannover, Germany
2006
•Sculpture inauguration of Deutsche Bank AG Art Award, Düsseldorf, Germany •Galerie Janzen, Wuppertal Düsseldorf, Germany

Group Exhibitions
2018
•Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA •Alfa Gallery, Miami, FL •Art Center Hollywood, FL
2017
•Dave Bown Projects 13th Semiannual Competition kuratiert von Helga Christoffersen, Assistant Curator, New Museum, New York; und Kelly Kivland, Associate Curator, Dia Art Foundation, New York – http://davebownprojects.com/Vanessa_Niederstrasser.html •espace apart “Tono subito”, Diekirch, Luxembourg •Hotel Adagio-ArtSpan, San Francisco, CA •Hotel Mosser, San Francisco, CA
2016
•Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen in the Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany •ARTINA2016, at Sandy Spring Museum, MD; curated by Washington Sculpture Group,Washington DC •Art Galerie7, Cologne, Germany
2015
•Art Olympia, Toshima City Hall Tokyo, Japan
2014
•American University Museum at Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC •Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, MARINMOCA, Novato, CA •Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA •Museum of Fine Arts der Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL •Todd Art Gallery, Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
2013
•Museum of New Art (MONA), Detroit, MI •Museum of Fine Arts of Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL •Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA •Schlosspark Stammheim, Köln, Germany
2012
•ArtPadSF with Project One Gallery, San Francisco, CA •The Crocker Kingley Sacramento Museum Competition, Roseville, CA
2010
•Galerie Koch, Hannover, Germany
2008
•Representation of the german state NRW, Brüssel, Belgium
2007
•Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany •Halle 6 - Galerie Christine Hölz, Düsseldorf, Germany
2006
•Alexia Goethe Gallery, London, GB •Frieze Art Fair London, Gallery Goethe, London, GB
2005
•Grosse Kunstausstellung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany
2004
•Nagoza Zokei University of Art, Nagoya, Japan
2003
•Skulpturenlandschaft, Hamburg, Germany

Works in collections
Deutsche Bank AG, Sparkasse Karlsruhe, AIDA Cruises, Museum Abtei Liesborn, C&A Gruppe, von Rundstedt HR Partners, United Internet, Dada Janco Museum Ein Hod/Israel, private

www.vanessa-niederstrasser.com

@vanessaniederstrasser

Vanessa Niederstrasser

Artist Statement