Redspace - Lena Kaapke: Art Archive Database / Kunst Archiv Datenbank

In her multifaceted work, Lena Kaapke questions the traditional definition of colour. Her exploration of ceramic red led her to develop a standardised chromatic spectrum, resulting in a colour archive and an accompanying database. Text in English and German. For Lena Kaapke, ceramic red is the starting point for her artistic exploration. The different properties, processes, applications, and biographies of this red are examined in a variety of installations, contesting the traditional definition of colour and calling for a fresh approach to it within the field of ceramics. When seen collectively, the works create connections that open up a sensuous space for colour and thought, in which colour can be perceived in its spatial, temporal, and performative contexts. Kaapke’s exploration of ceramic red led her to develop a standardised chromatic spectrum, resulting in a visually arranged, tactile colour archive comprising almost 10,000 shades of ceramic red and an accompanying database, also to be published. Redspace is not just a standardised spectrum but also an inquiry—and, as such, a one-off. As a three-dimensional entity, Redspace is a reflection of the artist’s praxis, one which invites the reader to experience the multilayered expressive potential of a unique ceramic colour. Text in English and German.