The exhibition combines a single-channel video installation, a site-specific sculptural installation, and work on paper. The video installation debuts grainy Hi8 camcorder footage from Quinn's residency at MQ21 in Vienna, accompanied by the sound of a violinist learning to play a Bach violin concerto. Although never visible, the protagonist interacts with a cast of characters, including the landscape of Vienna, an electric tea kettle, and the view from their bedroom window. The sculptural installation features mirrored-top tables sourced in Berlin, arranged with forty-four found snail objects–from crystal to carved wood–collected by the artist via online resale sites over the past year and a half and referencing her current age. The two-dimensional text-based work will present a hand-transcribed excerpt from Bachmann's poem, which the artist will create on-site during her time in Berlin, adding a performative and immediate dimension to the exhibition. While visually absent of the “main character’s” human figure, these works aim to provoke reflection on our physical bodies’ temporality, the comfort and constraint of daily routine, the psychology of collecting and preservation, and the grounding power of poetry in understanding our lived experiences.
Quinn sees this pivotal body of work as a continuation of her exploration of feminist discourse and her personal narrative as a survivor with invisible disabilities. With obsessive repetition and traces of gesture, her art often confronts the transient nature of life, capitalist consumption, and the representation of women in media, inviting the audience to intimate with her personal journey.
"For me, memory and the concept of 'home' are in constant flux, shaped by who I think I am or try to be each day," says Quinn. "In 'Heimweg,' I'm not aiming for viewers to replicate my memories, but rather to engage with objects and spaces significant to me – from Vienna's landscape to my temporary residence there, and the snail objects I’ve obsessively been collecting. What began as a self-portrait metaphor has evolved into a symbol for being at home in one’s body, representing adaptation, patience, and simplicity. The first layer of this exhibition invites viewers to explore how we carry 'home' within us, constantly reshaping it through our experiences."
About the Artist
B. Quinn (she/her), born in 1979 in Pittsburgh, PA, US, is a conceptual artist whose work spans drawing, sculpture, text, and video. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Quinn has exhibited internationally, including with Critical Art Ensemble at dOCUMENTA(13). In 2021, she was honoured as a Fulbright Independent Scholar and artist-in-residence at MQ21 in Vienna, AT. Quinn's solo exhibitions have taken place in Chicago, Columbus, New York, and Pittsburgh. Continuing her dialogue with the work of author Ingeborg Bachmann, her recent painting Ablaze, as I am, is featured in the Power Frauen exhibition at DANK Haus German American Cultural Center and Museum in Chicago, IL, US. Quinn's latest project, Heimweg (The Way Home), marks her first solo exhibition in Berlin, DE, further expanding her international presence.
Acknowledgments
An Individual Artist Project Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural and Special Events (DCASE) has generously supported this exhibition, enabling the realisation of Quinn’s vision and the presentation of her work to a broader audience. Additionally, this project was supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.
The gallery is located at
Motor Ship HEIMATLAND
anchored near Fischerinsel Park
10 179 Berlin-Mitte
+49 1525 7486496
www.hosekcontemporary.com
