ANIMA MUNDI ACADEMIA Art Magazine, 3rd ISSUE, 2022 by ANIMA MUNDI ACADEMIA

Binay Bükey (Turkey) Iryna Calinicenco (Moldova)

ZITA V.: Please introduce yoaurself to our readers. JUERGEN KADOW: I was born in1954, and live and work as an artist in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.As a student, I studied graphic design at the University of Applied Science in Würzburg from 1975 to 77 before I transferred to the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg to study painting. In 1982 I graduated as a master-class student. ZITA V.: Do you remember the moment in your life when you discovered yourself as a creator? J.K.: At the age of 9, on a summer day, I experienced something in nature. Everything was blooming; birds, bees and butterflies were flying around in the air, the sunlight was shining through. I had the feeling that there has to be more than the things around me. Something that creates this world, something that is bigger than the things I see. A world behind things. Obviously at the time, I did not know that I can find those things through art. I discovered that later, but this magical moment touched me deeply. ZITA V.: Your artworks are like a response to the growing alienation of people, a situation in which the alienated human spirit, in various forms of culture, turns against the human himself, and begins to dictate “his” will to the creator of culture. You are looking for the person himself in his unique individuality. What in your opinion is a person’s individual authenticity? J.K.: I think the human spirit is inexhaustible. There are no limits of knowledge and awareness. To overcome your own limits though, you need to have an open mind, an open soul. The state of being yourself describes the uniqueness of every human being. However, if you do not practice it and if your mind has nothing to do except to reproduce things for everyday life, your mind will work against the nature of being. The development is very restricted. Today, we dangerously tend to assume the opinions of others. Of course, the media plays a big role, they are flooding and influencing our thinking.

ZITA V.: The world is undergoing a great change. Mankind has come to the point where decisions need to be made; to choose the direction here and now. Looking at your work, it is as if the question arises in itself_ like what is the world around us? How do you see this current world within the eyes of a creator?

J.K.: It is obvious that we are facing necessary and major questions. For example, how do we handle climate change, the social questions of economy and production, how can we achieve fair distribution of capital, the exploitation of resources, and who owns land? There is nothing which cannot be questioned. We are coming to a point where answers can only be found within a creative and thoughtful process, one which understands individual surroundings (animals, plants, minerals) intrinsically. The material world, that only apprehends the visible as reality, is no longer sufficient. We have to get a deeper sense of what lies beneath, what makes us human. It is a rather a cosmic understanding. ZITA V.: At the moment, we inexorably feel that very many people are experiencing extreme life situations; struggles, suffering, death, change, openness, or a recognition of a clearer perception. What is time like for you, as your being is immersing during the creative process? J.K.: I am not living an isolated life; I am very aware of today’s situation and how it affects me. There are certain subjects, for example death, where I am trying to carve out aspects that are extending beyond the so-called finiteness. Where are all the human experiences going? Where are all the thoughts, the memories, where is the success and where is the failure? Art always tries to give answers to these elementary questions, whether in the form of a poem, as a painting, sculpture, or performative manner. Examination begins in the very moment of the creative process, and you develop slow or fast imaginations. I can only translate this process in form of an abstract painting or in combination with objective painting, as this, however, is often difficult since you can get distracted by the objectivity. When the soul leaves its body, it leaves behind the physical world. Of course, the result can only show the very moment of the form, another painting can be completely different, or the next one and the next one… For me, it is about sensing. Imaginations do not have a three-dimensional limitation, which is rather difficult to translate when you only have a four-sided format. The observer however can trace it back and create their own vision of space and time. I always try in all the subjects to form something meaningful, even though the essence of it is not yet always revealed. There is a seed of change in everything.

ZITA V.: This historical stage of time is probably as focused on personal self-knowledge and personal development, the loss of old values, and the motivation to find new ideals. How in your opinion should a person fulfill his presence here and now to make sense of it? J.K.: As previously mentioned, there is no change and improvement for humanity and the planet if we do not practice self-awareness. This is not about how you look or how you can change your face to certain beauty standards. These values of one’s own self-worth are not the way to inner self-knowledge. These inner paths have other questions. Who am I, where did I come from, where am I going? These are the essential questions to create a rich and fulfilled presence. It is not about external but the inner wealth. This is a burdensome and bumpy path, with

a lot of detours, and is a one-way street where you find yourself falling and helpless. But if you succeed at one point that will be the spiritual sustenance for the further journey. And ideals can be built, seeds for a better future.

Do we need to destroy the Amazon to get more soy and therefore more meat? Slowly we see a bit of light, more people recognize the grievances that people care too much about the product rather than the planet. Maybe there will be a fair barter in the future.

ZITA V.: Today’s concept, “consumer society,” seems self-evident to us, because we live in such a society. But what lies behind it all? After all, people have consumed all the time, how are we different from previous societies?

ZITA V.: In these globalization processes which humanity will understand, perhaps, only a century later that include: changing the perception of space and time, the segregation of society in terms of free movement and access to information, the need for the creation of new communities, changes in the perception of geographical and social space in today’s world, what is the basis for creating meaning and value of today?

J.K.: Today’s society consumes goods that apparently are necessary. You consume what commercials promise. Car manufacturers advertise lifestyles, the next smartphone is a millisecond faster, etc. New needs are created and aroused in order to maintain the economic cycle. A lot of it comes at the expense of resources and sustainability. But a countermovement can be seen as a more sustainable and regional way of producing, and consumers are becoming more critical. Does an apple have to travel half the globe?

J.K.: I hope that the majority of people will understand the process of globalization and its consequences, not only a century later but as soon as possible. In a hundred years there will probably be only a handful of companies who are controlling the economy and production. We already are facing a situation where countries are buying other countries to secure resources for an economic policy, which is not up to date anymore. They are ruining the planet and all living beings. We already know for years now that this system does not have any sustainable future. The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow 2021 did not achieve anything. In most countries we are able to get information about the system and we can think about it critically. Economy and politics are closely linked together. Social questions like the right to education, to work, to live, the freedom of thought, for example, are often a disruptive factor. Without a clear separation of state, economy and intellectual life and the need to be independent from one another, but still inspire one another through thinking, feeling and wanting, there is no hope. It has to be a creative threefold order process. ZITA V.: If there was a dilemma in your life to choose creativity or something else? What would that “something else” be? J.K.: There is not something else. Creativity is a defining characteristic of humanity. The creative process is not only reserved for artists. But the question is, how can I do something? Goethe said it quite accurate: “Das Was bedenke, mehr bedenke das Wie”_ meaning: Ponder the What, to solve the How still harder try. ZITA V.: Thank you.

ZITA V.: I welcome Ricardas Jakutis, a well-known Lithuanian collector. As you are curating the collection pages of our magazine, would you be so kind to share your experiences and insights with readers of our magazine? When did you start collecting works of art that gave impetus to this activity? R.J.: I have been in the collection world for 50 years. As I began my interest in art, a well-known pastor asked me to appreciate or to realize the worth of his art. It had been left to him by a deceased priest who had pastored him in that parish. The previous owner of the painting was a rather bright and educated priest, so I assumed that the painting to be something interesting, and to have his own story. After a long discussion with art critics and historians, we found out that this is the work of MK. Ciurlionis’ teacher Kazimieras Stabrauskas. I was struck by that search for the origin of the picture and the unexpected joy of discovery. ZITA V.: How do you choose works for your collection, do you have a defined theme? Will it change over time?

R.J.: I think it is worth choosing a theme when collecting. While not being overly attached to it, it can change. I don’t think it would be interesting to collect, for example, still life’s alone. In Poland, I visited a friend who collects his portraits. In a full portrait room, their owner seemed so little to me. I gather artists of my time, those with whom I can sit in their workshop, drink a glass of wine or a stronger trunk, discuss, and go out with a recently painted picture. ZITA V.: What motivates a collector to acquire a work of art, an idea, a technique, an author, his legend, a specific space, or is it just an intuitive choice? R.J.: Everything together. Intuitive selection is also good. ZITA V.: What advice would you give to those who are still dreaming of starting such an activity? Does it require a large budget? How not to get lost when choosing this undertaking? Is it enough to just feel the art and intuitively choose the works you like? R.J.: To collect, you need to buy the first picture. It will be easier after that. You won’t say you don’t need to raise funds. However, not only finances can lead to the formation of a collection. Careful searches, communication with galleries, visiting exhibitions, art magazines are a must for a collector. When you collect, you start to feel art, although if art critics don’t advise you to buy one or another painting, but you like it so much that you can’t live without it, buy it. ZITA V.: How to create a unique collection? What is important? How useful are the tips of art consultants or gallerists? R.J.: The role of art consultants is huge. No need to be ashamed if you don’t understand. Dare to ask, explain, clarify. This will make you a collector and an art connoisseur. It is good if the paintings in the collection fit in, but there is no need to bother to give up the less like ones. Feel free to exchange them, sell them and buy others in their place. How does the value of a work of art change over the years? Does the investment always pay off? Everything happens, but most of the time the value of works of art just goes up. I know of examples that the value of some paintings purchased forty to thirty years ago has risen five or even more times. ZITA V.: Why do you think it is worth collecting? R.J.: It’s one of the more exciting elements of life. We collect various figurines, postcards, stamps, medals, coins, books ... acquiring works of art, in my head, is one of the highest degrees of collecting. True, it is possible to collect even larger objects than paintings or sculptures, such as fire trucks or cars anyway. ZITA V.: It is important for every artist to have his or her work in “good hands.” Is it true that by buying a work of art, the collector seems to take on moral responsibility for the fate of the work of art? Maybe it’s not really binding? R.J.: Cynically, when you buy a picture and pay for it, you can do with it whatever you want, even burn it, for example. But thank God, that doesn’t work. Each painting that leaves the artist’s workshop has its own life story. Respect for collectors who have bought a painting does not hide it in their mansion under a few locks, but lends it to, say, a museum for all museum visitors to admire. ZITA V.: And finally, what else would you like to add? R.J.: I just want to encourage collectors. It is one of the joys of life. In addition, collectors preserve many rare works that can perish during wars and occupations. ZITA V.: Thank you for your wisdom.

BINAY BÜKEY

ANIMA MUNDI ACADEMIA Art Magazine

IRYNA CALINICENCO (Moldova) BINAY BÜKEY (Turkey) LEILA POURKHANI (Iran)