Message 9574 / Země Atelier and Annamieke Engelbrecht

In Message 9574 artist, Annamieke Engelbrecht and architect, Anna Mańka initiate a long-distance conversation between the analog medium of painting and three-dimensional digital renderings. This project is a collaboration between two artists 9574 km apart between Eindhoven, NL and Cape Town, SA. Questioning the dimensionality of both their art practices they set out to create a conversation between the digital and analog realms of their art. Corresponding in this way, they open up different dimensions of a shared abstract visual language.Initially meeting over Instagram the correspondence between the two and their work began swiftly, as they shared images back and forth and connected digitally over a period of a few weeks during the corona lockdown. Over the few months they created a series of renders and paintings made by Anna and Annamieke respectively, where they reinterpreted each other's work using their skills of an Architecture Masters student and a fine artist. This evolved into a collection of 2D paintings and their 3D interpretations which later were the catalyst to flipping the process to create renders and then their flat explanation.Each set represents a double oriented vision of two artists of different backgrounds and explains the continuous chain of thoughts brought by the dimensional changes.The differences between their practices enabled the artists to push themselves and each other to think outside of the restrictions — of medium, of dimension — in which they usually work. Using their respective skills and areas of focus, they were prompted to take a different approach, spatially, in order to conceive of forms in another dimensionality.“The most interesting conversation happening in our Message 9574 series is the one between our mediums: one that is centuries old and was used by many masters with a rich and colourful history and the other which is very contemporary and current, technology driven and continuously being updated. This dialogue between analogue and digital was the main drive when creating the series.”
My name is Anna Mańka and I am an architect passionate about the combination of art and technology. What interests me the most are relations of spaces, ways they can appear and physical and virtual forms. ZEMĚ ATELIER is a project of mine that allows me to share my thoughts on architecture, dimensions and art. ZEMĚ ATELIER is a collection of carefully made 3d images merging art with technology and architecture.  Each artwork is based in an individual settlement and connects various fields of creativity. Each render and project shows a multiple-layered nature of seeing and experiencing. It was conceived with an aim to deepen the understanding of art by using modern technology. Renders present the real world of architecture and art in another way of perceiving.  Each brush stroke becomes a plan filled with colorful masses, each stain becomes a volume, each angle transforms into a representation of human involvement with matter.What I find inspirational is Bauhaus with its authorities and theories, that are a great combination of different disciplines. That is what I want my art to be like.https://www.instagram.com/zemeatelier/https://zemeatelier.com/

Annamieke Engelbrecht

Having grown up an introvert I was naturally drawn to activities that were, for the most part, separated from people. This included painting, photography, social media and other online platforms. I have always been fascinated by internet personalities and how people portray themselves for others to see. This interest was cultivated during my teenage years and further developed when I decided to study towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts at Stellenbosch University. There I delved deeper into my own discomfort in front of a camera by tapping into my introverted nature. I created a series of masked self-portraits through the mediums of painting, photography and video, where these works were inspired by internet personalities from various online platforms. In 2018, I set out to see, understand and be inspired by as many different artists as possible from around the world by documenting the architecture, history and cultures in photography. Visiting museums, galleries and craftsmen in countries like the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Cambodia and Vietnam, I opened up the possibilities of what my art can become.

Currently settled in a studio in Cape Town, predominantly working in oil paints and performance, I find inspiration and create art that comment on internet culture, modern technology and how it affects our way of living.

www.artistannamieke.wordpress.com

@artfromannamieke