Lena Henke: My Fetish Years

A bright yellow shape made from weather-resistant synthetic rubber—a sleeping elephant as well as postmodern architecture; a bright red hoof made of Forton, alternating between a horse’s foot, a tree trunk and a brick; a sculptural family group cast in deep purple rubber—simutaneously a portrait of a collection of figurative 20th century sculpture.

Lena Henke (born 1982 in Warburg, Germany, currently lives and works in New York) often arranges her diverse sculptural works in space-consuming installations. Her works of art are reminiscent of urban planning and Land Art; they address themes such as interpersonal relationships, sexuality, and fetishism. Henke always infiltrates the patriarchal structures of art history in a quirky manner, often with a humorous undertone. Employing strategies of intervention, appropriation and control, the artist examines her work in relation to herself and her family environment. Her formal language contains references to Minimalism, which she combines with surrealist motifs. In this way Henke investigates street life and explores the ideas of urban planners and urban theorists such as Jane Jacobs, Roberto Burle Marx and Robert Moses.

The exhibition My Fetish Years at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen, Germany, sees itself as looking back into the future. The most comprehensive solo exhibition to date of the Rubens Promotional Award winner provides an overview of ten years of artistic production. In addition, new groups of works will be developed specifically for Siegen and artistic questions will be combined with future prospects.

The Promotional Award of the City of Siegen’s Rubens Prize
Alternating with the “major” Rubens Prize, which is awarded for a life’s work in painting, the City of Siegen in cooperation with the Museum für Gegenwartkunst Siegen presents the Rubens Promotional Award for outstanding young artistic talent every five years. As the 8th prizewinner, Lena Henke follows Vajiko Chachkhiani (2014), Diango Hernández (2009), Peter Piller (2004), Silke Rehberg (1999), Karin Sander (1994), Julia Lohmann (1989) and Max Neumann (1984).
 

Opening Hours: Tuesday‒Sunday: 11am‒6pm, Thursday: 11am‒8pm
Closed on Mondays

Supported by the City of Siegen, and the Circle of Friends of the MGK Siegen.
Further information at www.mgksiegen.de