Greith House Ortisei

When bodies explode social systems

The "Body Works" exhibition by studio Asynchrome at Greith-Haus(Bild: Ulrike Rauch)

Studio Asynchrome (Marleen Leitner and Michael Schitnig) became known for their drawings, which increasingly conquered the space and in which social systems were critically examined. In the Greith House in Ortisei/Greith, however, the artists are now showing expressive "Body Works".

Bodies and their relationship to society have always been at the center of Marleen Leitner and Michael Schitnig's artistic attention. However, from 2022 - not least due to the coronavirus-related slump in the art sector - the focus of the two artists' work changed. It was no longer just about a critical analysis of the present, but about questions about a shared future. 

The body rather than the individual became the focus of the drawings, which increasingly moved away from strict black and white, hatching and thin lines. And in terms of size: expansive works became predominantly A4 drawings, which only gradually grew again.

Filigree ink drawings can also be seen(Bild: Ulrike Rauch)

The dissolution and reshaping of bodies that cannot be assigned a gender, bones as supporting constructs and expressive crashing together characterize the "Body Works", which also stand out due to a stronger painterly gesture. They are exciting studies of what is and what could be, which not only show new forms but also make use of unusual techniques.

studio Asynchrome - Marleen Leitner and Michael Schitnig(Bild: Marija Kanizaj)

For the duo, it is also a kind of return to their roots. studio Asynchrome was founded in 2013 as a transdisciplinary experiment that formed two artistic styles into one and which can now be lived out again as joint work on one piece.

Extended until the end of July
The "Body Works" exhibition at Greith-Haus, incidentally the first institutional solo show of this series of works, has been extended until the end of July. Well worth a visit!