Manuella Muerner Marioni — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 2

May 2 Manuella Muerner Marioni

Biography

Manuella Muerner Marioni was born 1964 in Thun, Switzerland. She studied art and fashion design at the New Art School Zurich (Switzerland). After study she made several trips abroad for art-studies in Florence (IT), Vienna (AT), Lisboa (PT), Paris (FR), Spain, Southamerica and USA. For seven years she collaborated with the NIKI DE ST. PHALLE FOUNDATION in Germany, Switzerland, France and USA. During this time Niki de St. Phalle was her friend and personal teacher. She has been featured in group and solo shows at museums, galleries and cultural centers in Europe, Asia and the US, including Zhou Brothers Foundation Chicago,
Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art in Las Vegas and solo show at the International Museum of Contemporary Art ITALIA ARTE in Turin. In 2020 she started the international cultural management distance learning course that she will finish in August 2021.

Artist Statement

In my work, my purpose is to break away from the stringent order of society, to unleash tensions and to bring about a vivid confrontation with the issues of “form” and colour”. Playing with “Contradictions” is the name of the game. In simple terms, art is clearly the creation of contradictions which must be compensated for; art is a blend of contradiction and order. The most crucial point form is to reach the strongest possible effect with simple forms and materials. My works are the instrument with which I manage to break through conventional perceptions. With a regular rhythm of related shapes, linear
compositions appear which then form compositions. The transformed form, as emphasized by flashy colours, is thus trusted by a new, self-propelled dynamic. Those watching my works have the possibility of going out on a discovery trip and thus decoding the concealed symbols and geometric signs in their own manner. Forms and signs become a language of their own and are often composed of hieroglyphs and sign elements from past cultures.

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

When I was about 5 years old, I rummaged in a dusty box in the attic of our house and found pencil drawings. It later turned out that my father had drawn these. I decided as a child that I wanted to be an artist. At school, I was always the best at drawing lessons. Later I attended the new art school in Zurich and then went on self-taught excursions to deepen art throughout Europe, South America and the USA. I worked with the Niki de St. Phalle Foundation for seven years. Exhibitions all over Europe and the USA followed.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

I am a multi-media artist who wants to do things creatively with strong statements in order to be able to show people different perspectives. The mirror sculptures are my most important works, from which the play with light and shadow in the reflection of the viewer and the environment can be included. How the pictures I paint with bright acrylic paints create an illusion. With the new digital technology, I manipulate photos that represent a surreal world. It is crucial for me that I can achieve the greatest possible effect with simple shapes and materials.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

Yes, of course - art should move and convey something, as well as contribute to a different view of things (topics) - art should broaden one's horizons. With my work I want to break out of the rigid order of society, create tension and stimulate a lively discussion of the subject of "form" and "colors". It is a game of opposites.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

The mirror sculptures are my most important works, from which the play with light and shadow in the reflection of the viewer and the environment can be included. How the pictures I paint with bright acrylic paints create an illusion. With the new digital technology, I manipulate photos that represent a surreal world. It is crucial for me that I can achieve the greatest possible effect with simple shapes and materials.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

There is no favored process because the whole thing forms a unit. It starts with a topic that concerns me and then ends in a work that I have processed for myself on this topic. The process starts with a detailed interpretation on my part, trying to summarize the whole thing on a variety of properties. At the end of the whole process, there are the subtleties, which of course I like to do best.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

The next thing to come out is a book of designs, graphics and drawings of mine in which I want to present my idea of a better world without suffering. The book is entitled: Colors and Shapes in the New World. The book is expected to be published by BOD-Publisher in autumn 2021.

Website https://www.manuellamuernermarioni.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/muernermarioni/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ManuellaMuernerMarioni/