Over Land and Sea – Exhibition of the S2

As part of an intensive artistic-aesthetic engagement with the international group exhibition “Over Land and Sea” at the Kunsthaus Hamburg, the students of the S2 Art basic course at Gymnasium Rahlstedt under the guidance of Katharina Ilemann realized their own exhibition.

Starting from the artistic diversity of the original exhibition—in which topics such as ecology, embodiment, and myth were addressed—the students undertook a not always easy search for their own traces, for biographical points of reference, and for a completely personal question on the topic. In an open, experimental process, over a period of about three months, very personal and expressive artistic works emerged.

The exhibition showed an impressive range of media and forms of expression: painting and graphic art were present just as much as videos, sound installations, and sculptures. Thematically, the works revolved around experiences of flight, family memories, water as a boundary and habitat, movement over land and sea—always with the aim of gaining new insights through artistic work.

The project was accompanied by the artist Jonas Kolenc, who supported the course with a great deal of professional expertise and empathy. For the ceremonial opening at Kunsthaus Hamburg, among others our student Anna Hansen spoke. The vernissage was completed with the musical accompaniment of some self-composed songs by Hilda and Miriam. A big thank you for this!

We warmly thank Kunsthaus Hamburg for the collaboration and all those involved for their commitment, their creativity, and their courage to make personal perspectives artistically visible.

The exhibition “Over Land and Sea” is a nice example of how art in a school context can extend far beyond the classroom—as a research space, a form of expression, and a dialogue offering.

A report by Katharina Ilemann

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