We are happy to announce Nami Multifraktal, an exhibition by Hannah Reber and Gert-Jan Akerboom, in which they will show work they did during their residence at Studio Kura. The artist duo is based in Berlin and they will present an installation showing work produced during their stay.

Here are some words from the artists themselves.

The title “Nami Multifraktal” refers to fractal geometry on one hand, which was primarily described by Benoit Mandelbrot. Today fractal geometry plays an important role in physics, chaos research and computer programming. On the other hand “Nami” (english: wave) refers to one of the most popular works of Katsushika Hokusai titled ‘The Big wave off Kanagawa’ (jap. 神奈川沖 浪裏 “Kanagawa oki nami ura”), a Japanese woodcut created around 1830. The Japanese artist has been gaining attention from artists and scientists around the world because of his intuitive use of fractal geometry long before it was mathematically described by Mandelbrot. Mandelbrot writes in his fundamental work “The fractal geometry of nature” (1983, 109) about this particular work of Hokusai:

“It demonstrates, that Turbulence is necessary foreign to the spirit of the ‘old’ physics that focussed upon the phenomena of having well-defined scales. But this same reason makes the study of turbulence of direct interest to us.”

Hannah Reber and Gert-Jan Akerboom share a common interest in fractal Geometry but approach it in different ways.

Both artists understand their work to be mainly “explorative”. Process plays a central role in the conception of their art. Exchange and dialog – between cultures, disciplines and positions – offers them the possibility to find new perspectives, new perceptions and a new understanding of fundamental questions.

While Hannah Reber’s conceptual multimedia work focusses mainly on the mathematical and philosophical side of fractal geometry, Gert-Jan Akerboom explores fractal geometry in the motives for his ink drawings as well as in his specially developed drawing technique.

The precise lines of his architectural and spatial structures are strongly influenced by euclidean geometry and the Golden ratio and they find themselves in strong contrast to the chaotic fractal structures that result from mixing ink with water. Fractal geometry caused a turnaround of our understanding of space and time as well as dimensions in general and gave us another access to artistic, natural and social processes. This research journey through the home of Hokusai’s “Big Wave” offers the artists an opportunity to deepen their dialogical art practice, exhibit their work in Japan and find cultural exchange.

Gert-Jan Akerboom Nami Multifraktal
Date: May 9 (Saturday) to May 12 (Tuesday), 11:00 to 19:00, free entrance
* We will hold an opening party on Saturday the 9th, starting at 15:00.