WS 24/25 / Artist Talk by Wiebke Elzel

Wiebke Elzel’s artistic work is characterized by a conceptual approach and by narrative, documentary and research elements. She mainly works with the media of photography and text, which she combines to create unique forms of storytelling. Based on strategies of artistic research, she has developed own methods of gaining and communicating knowledge. Research in archives and libraries is an important part of the work process. Using individual phenomena, historical puzzles or events, she deals with contemporary issues. A central role plays the examination of constructions of historiography and their influence on individual and collective identity formation. Varying methods of explorative research, her projects always begin with a non-hierarchical collection and generation of documents, photographs, notes, etc. In doing so, she adopts a subjective point of view that integrates the reflection of her own experiences into the work. She always works over longer periods of time on her projects, that are condensed into complex and narrative installations. Alongside the exhibition space, the book is the most important form of presentation, also as an independent format.