German, born 1985, lives and works in Bochum, Germany, Studied 2013-17 at Academy of Art, Düsseldorf, Germany, 2009-2011: National Sculptor School, Oberammergau, 2007-09: TU Dortmund Architecture.
Selected exhibitions:
upcoming: Berthold Pott, Cologne (solo, Sept/Oct 2023), beacon, Munich, Various Other, group show with Carolina Aguirre, Helen Alas, Krystel Cárdenas, Jeanne Geiger, Jens Kothe, and Berenice Olmedo.
past: Cassina Projects, Milan, Italy (solo, April-May 2023), Barbé Urbain, Ghent, BE (duo, Jan-March 2023), Downs & Ross, New York City, USA (solo 2022), Kunstverein Heppenheim, Heppenheim, Germany (solo 2022), Museum Bochum, Germany (group 2021), Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden, Germany (group 2021), Platform 6a, curated by Philippe van Cauteren SMAK, Otegem, BE (group 2020), Museum Ostwall, Dortmund, Germany (group 2020), Efremidis, Berlin, Germany (group 2020), Kunsthaus Essen, Germany (group, 2020), Berthold Pott, Cologne, Germany (solo, 2019), Philara Collection, Düsseldorf, Germany (group 2018), Kunsthalle Bochum, Germany (solo, 2017)
In the sensually organic sculptures and wall pieces by the young German artist Jens Kothe, everything revolves around the human body: Vulnerability and closeness are reflected in highly magnified and often abstracted details. Kothe makes use of materials such as upholstery wadding, silicone, concrete, stretch films, or fabrics worked with delicate colour pigments which, in their contrasting nature, evoke various haptic associations in the viewer, such as with the wall piece Stressed Membranes, Mimicry II“ (see illustration): Silicone fragments are incorporated into a softly upholstered, rose-coloured object with an organic form, which can be read as abstract body shapes or concrete facial features.
Examples Work / Exhibitions:
Installation views Jens Kothe at PHILARA Collection Düsseldorf „Insane in the membrane“ with Rebekka Benzenberg, Isabella Fürnkäs, Simon Fujiwara, Vivian Greven, Jens Kothe, Oliver Laric, Hannah Levy, Anna Virnich, Raphaela Vogel, Nov 2018 – Jan 2019:
(left: Hannah Levy, middle: Rebekka Benzenberg, right: Jens Kothe)
(left: Anna Virnich, middle: Hannah Levy, right: Jens Kothe)
JENS KOTHE (full CV)
Born 1985, lives and works in Bochum, Germany, 2013-17: masterclass of Andreas Gursky, Academy Düsseldorf, 2009-2011: National Sculptor School, Oberammergau, 2007-09: TU Dortmund, Architecture.
Selected Exhibitions:
2023
Group exhibition Love and Human Remains at Berthold Pott, Cologne, Germany (Jan-April 2023)
Duo exhibition at Barbe, Ghent, Belgium (Jan-March 2023)
Solo exhibition at Cassina Projects, Milan, Italy (upcoming April)
Solo exhibition at Berthold Pott, Cologne, Germany (upcoming Sept)
2022
Solo exhibition at Downs & Ross, New York City, USA
Solo exhibition at Kunstverein Heppenheim, Germany
Group exhibition at Swivel Gallery, NYC, USA
Duo exhibition at Barbé Urbain, Ghent, Belgium (upcoming)
2021
High End group exhibition at Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden, Germany (Juli/August)
Group exhbition at Museum Bochum, Germany (Juli-Sept)
2-person presentation at Art Cologne (Nov)
Ehrenfeld group exhibition at Berthold Pott, Cologne
2020
The missing link, group exhibition curated by Philippe van Cauteren, Platform 6a, Otegem, Belgium
Group exhibition at Museum Ostwall, Dortmunder U, Germany
„Squish“ at Efremidis, Berlin (with Carlotta Bailly-Borg, Christiane Blattmann, Lindsay Lawson, Teresa Solar, Jens Kothe) (March-June 2020)
„Drink Liquid“ at Kunsthaus Essen, with Tammo Lünemann, Jens Kothe and Kai Borsutzky (Jan-May 2020)
„automatic“ with Jens Kothe, Benoit Platéus, Xavier Mary at Barbé Urbain, Gent, Belgium (March-June 2020)
2019
solo exhibition „Element System“ at Berthold Pott, Cologne
solo exhibition Jens Kothe at Pfirsich, Cologne, Germany
group exhibition „On intimacy“ at RFK, Düsseldorf
2018
group exhibition „Insane in the membrane“ at Philara Collection, Düsseldorf with Vivian Greven, Jens Kothe, Raphaela Vogel, Hannah Levy, Oliver Laric, Isabella Fürnkäs,…,
group exhibition „Die Grosse“ at Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
2017
solo exhibition „Jens Kothe“ at Hyperraum E.V. Bochum
solo exhibition „Jens Kothe“ at Kunsthalle Bochum
2015
group exhibition Ruhrtriennale Bochum (group, 2015),
2014
group exhibition „En el Castillo“ at Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo, Spain
Education
2017
Masterclass Andreas Gursky, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2012-2017
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf / Academy of Arts Düsseldorf, Germany
2009-2012
National Sculpture School, Oberammergau
2007-2009
TU (University) Dortmund, Architecture
Scholarships
2018
Stiftung Kunstfonds Bonn
ition at Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo, Spain
