German Artists Live, Work in Columbus Thanks to GCAC Partnership

Two German artists will live and work in Columbus during the next few months, thanks to an exchange program between the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Saxony Ministry of Sciences and Arts in Dresden.

GCAC is hosting Stefanie Busch and Stefan Fischer through June. Busch will live in Columbus until June 9, using a downtown studio as her live/work space. Between 1998 and 2003, Busch studied painting and new media at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Dresden. She is an accomplished artist showing internationally, and she recently received the prestigious Saxony Art Prize for Emerging Artists by the Dresdner Bank Kulturstiftung in 2007.

Busch focuses on landscapes and memories, often overlapping images and displaying her work in light boxes to add interest. She has completed previous work in Ohio, including a series of images of Cleveland overlapped with other images.

While working in Columbus, Busch is interested in capturing personal stories through her work rather than "typical American images or stories." She describes her work as very site specific and is interested in the influence Columbus will have on her work.

"I think for artists it is always interesting and important to be in a different city or even in a different country for a while, to get a new perspective to your own life and work and society," Stefanie said. "It is really good to be here not only for few weeks but for three months so you have the chance to see behind a structure and to get involved in a daily life of a different culture."

Since arriving in March, Stefanie has spent her time working on ink drawings and digital photographs as well as exploring the local Columbus arts scene, including the Wexner Center for the Arts, which she says is one of her favorite places in Columbus.

Stefan Fischer will live in Columbus through the end of June. From 1995-2003, he studied photography with Joachim Brohm at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig. He then attended Brohm's Master-classes from 2003-2007. Fischer has displayed his work at several exhibitions over the last few years.

One of Stefan's recent exhibits focused on the space between parked cars and the shadows in that space. Many of his photographs focus on light in an unconventional way including backlight and shadows. By photographing shadows and capturing unusual light, Fischer's viewers question what is happening beyond the photograph.

In addition to hosting German artists in Columbus, GCAC sends two central Ohio artists to sister city Dresden, Germany each year. Artists who apply for the Individual Artist Fellowships and make the final round of consideration are eligible to apply for the Dresden/Saxony Residency. The two-to-three month residencies in Dresden include a stipend, airfare, studio space and housing.

Photo: Reception for Stefan Fischer at Roy G Biv Gallery