What's that...you want MORE Art?!?

Ok then! Come to "werkstatt-galerie" in Schwabing on Wednesday, Oct. 24 for the Vernissage of my next art exhibit in Munich.  The paint has barely dried from the canvases in 'Little Munich and I'm hardly over my 'Wiesn' cold, however I .. must ... keep..making...art! Along with artists Julie Galante and Nutan Jaeger, I'll be exhibiting my latest work around the theme:

München (Un)gewohnt

an exhibition of paintings, photography, and mixed-media work

by Julie Galante, Nutan Jäger, and Kim Santomauro

24 - 27 October 2012

Wed - Fri 13:00 - 18:30

Sat 10:00 - 12:00
@ Zentnerstr. 3 in Schwabing

The artwork explores the adopted home city of three artists who have lived here for varying amounts of time. As these outsiders slowly get to know Munich, the parts that seem familiar or unfamiliar change over time. Munich is a city that contains millions of different realities, projected

on to it by each of its residents and visitors. Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to share their reactions to what they see, both with each other and the artists, and to consider how their experience of this city differs from what others see.

In Search of Art during Oktoberfest: My "Little Munich" Art Exhibition

There are more things to do in Munich this time of year than just drinking extra-large, extra-strong masskrugs in tents full of thousands of people.. for instance, stop by Studio Gabi Green to see some of my latest works of art!  "Little Munich"  is now on display, in the same neighborhood as that somewhat 'bigger' event taking place right now at "The Wiesn."

This Saturday, 29. September we will hold an Open House from 1 p.m. til 6 p.m.  at Studio Gabi Green, located at Gollierstrasse 17.  This is an art exhibition in Munich featuring paintings, photography, and mixed-media created by myself and Julie.  Since this is 'Little' Munich, there are many 'smaller-ish' sized pieces of art on display, at affordable prices and easy to take home with you, wherever you came stumbling into town from.  Also on display are Gabi Green's beautiful works of jewelry art.  This Saturday beginning at 3 p.m., you'll get the chance to hear a variety short stories about Munich written by members of the Munich Creative Group and local bloggers as you oooo and aahhh over all the handmade art and jewelry!
Exhibition opening hours:
Wed-Fri 14.00-18.00
Sa 11.00-13.00 
(extended hours this Saturday, 29th until 18.00)
and by appointment (call number below or also +49176 245 32 013)

Location (U4 / U5 between Theresienwiese and Schwanthalerhöhe):
Studio Gabi Green
Gollierstraße 17
80339 München
+49 89 54 03 02 54

About Studio Gabi Green (sorry, just auf Deutsch):
Studio Gabi Green Schmuck & Anderes im Westend existiert in dieser Form seit 2008.
Gabi Green macht kraftvolle und klare Schmuckstücke. Sie arbeitet in Gold und in Silber, mit Edel- und Halbedelsteinen, auch Kunststoff. Sie schafft Unikate.
Neben ihren Schmuckstücken stehen Werke anderer SchmuckmacherInnen und einer Keramikerin zum Verkauf.
In den Räumen des Studio Green in der Gollierstraße 17 finden zudem ständig Ausstellungen internationaler Künstler statt.

Gabi Green nimmt mit ihrem Studio regelmäßig teil an den Veranstaltungen westendstudios und open westend.


 We had a great turnout for the Vernissage, thanks for all those who came out to join us!  We appreciate your support!  Here are some pics from beforehand...

Studio Gabi Green, finally everything in place!

The back room, w nicely arranged paintings and jewelry.

In Search of Art: Now Showing in Munich

1-  Georgia O'Keeffe, "Life and Work" is at Kunsthalle (Der Hypo-Kulturstiftung on Theatinerstrasße 8) until 13. May (daily from 10.00-20.00)

This is the first major retrospective of artist Georgia O'Keefe in Germany.  Also shows 50 photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams and others (she was married to Stieglitz, the famous gallerist and photographer of this time).  The show was organized with the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe.  Lots of paintings of flowers and of her time in New York City (cool abstract city scenes of buildings which were surprising to me since I really only imagine her paintings of New Mexico scenes and flowers when I think of her).  This is a great opportunity to learn more about her amazing, and long, life as well as getting the chance to see her beautiful art up close. 
TIP!  Every Monday (that is not a holiday) you pay only half price for entry (full price is 11€).

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1935.  Photo by Alfred Stieglitz

2.  Gasteig:   "Blende auf!  Ein Foto- und Malprojekt für junge Menschen mit psychosomatischen Störunge" (until 15. April) AND Dieter Hinrichs Photography Exhibit:  1957-2007  (Showing now until 7. June)

I stumbled upon this FREE exhibit and really think it's worth a look, especially considering I just participated in a mixed media exhibit this month, so I found it particularly interesting to see how others combine mediums (eg, photography, paint, pencil), some works are totally abstract and some have recognizeable elements.  Just about all of the art is for sale, ranging in price from around €175-540.

Mixed Media photo from Blende Auf

The Dieter Hinrichs photos were not even on the walls yet when I was there sniffing around upstairs from the Blende Auf exhibit, but it definitely seemed like a worthwhile visit.  Dieter Hinrichs taught from 1981 to 1997 at the National Academy of Photographic Design in Munich and has curated over seventy photography exhibitions.  His work seemed mostly of landscapes (but still many were not out of their boxes yet) and I read its from his travels in Africa, China and U.S. over a period of five decades.

3.  One of my favorite off-the-beaten path galleries, located in Haidhausen, is the Home from Home British Contemporary gallery which is currently showing a really cool video installation by Daniel Kluge, called "ta*tack" sonic and video textures (now until 28. April).  The gallery's focus in 2012 is on the Communication Art & Design Master of Arts Course, at the Royal College of Art in London.  Don't miss this unusual sensory art experience!
TIP:  Free entrance and there are some cool cafes, restaurants nearby like Cafiko and Cafe Liebling with homemade goodies and friendly staff.

This screen cap from video is activated by sounds you make while viewing it!

4.  Following on the heels of Egon Schiele's exhibit (which I loved), comes Marcel DuChamp (which I have a feeling will also be quite a treat).  Turns out he spent 3 months in Munich 100 years ago and was even inspired by the work he saw at the Deutsches Museum.  Not one of my all-time favorite artists but he sure made me think a lot about what art is (and is not?!)
INFO:  From now until 15. July.  Open Tues-Sun 10.00-10.00, 8€ at the temporary exhibit hall for the Lenbachhaus which is being renovated until sometime in 2013, reachable by U-bahn stop Königsplatz

“Nude, Descending a Staircase, No. 2”- never displayed in Germany until now!

Post Mixed + Media Exhibit

I'm happy to announce that my participation in my 2nd Group Art Exhibit was an exciting and successful one for me and the Munich Creative Group.  I sold my first photos and mixed media artwork!  A belated 'Danke!' to all those who came out and supported us, I surely appreciate it and hope you enjoyed the show.

Here are some of the mixed media pieces I showed at Das Provisorium, a gritty, but supportive artsy bar here in Munich:

Müllersche Volksbad
My graphic image doesn't do this beautiful Art Nouveau building justice,
a beautiful swimming pool is inside and I hope to take some photos of the swimming area soon).

Corner of Rosenheimer Str. & Gasteig (SOLD)
I took this at night (I love night shoots!), did a negative of the image along with some other effects in Photoshop, and then combined it with a local map and acrylic paint.  This was fun!  (The # "102" actually has nothing to do with this, it's an ode to my Grandmother, who turned 102 years around the time of this show!)

Just A Tree (SOLD)
This is actually a special tree that seemed to be leaning over a path on a walk I took one day as if to ask, 'See me?!' And I liked how the path converged to somewhere unknown.  This mixed media piece uses a combination of photos, a Hebrew/English dictionary page, acrylic paint, and pencil.

Der Vogel (The Bird)
Mixed media:  photos, photo transfer, acrylic paint, pencil, old German schoolbook page.

A cool, new thing we did for this show was to include QR codes ("Quick Response") where people could scan the code with their smartphones and be taken to a website where we explain the process, technique, etc. about certain pieces of art displayed.  The QR codes I created sites with this info for are (it was fun, check it out!):
'Just A Tree' and 'Der Vogel'
'Contemplating the Truth About Aging'  (A personal piece I did in honor of my Grandmother turning 102 and also in contemplation of myself, having turned 40 this year- not even halfway to my Grandmother!)

Friedensengel  (SOLD)
One of my favorite sites in Munich to photograph, lucky for me it's right around the corner from where I live!

Käfer
Right across the street is one of the best restaurants and gourmet shops
in town, 'Käfer'- a dangerously expensive delight!
The street signs are the intersection where I live.

Thanks again for all the support, to see more of my work and creative explorations, visit my online portfolio:  kimsantomauro.carbonmade.com/ and my 'Scritch n Scratch' blog.  Check back for info on upcoming shows too!  Have any opinions, comments, questions or advice for me?  Leave it below and I'll get back to you!

A few more photos from the actual event (thanks, Lia!):

I did mention that the place (and walls) were a bit 'gritty' didn't I?!!

World's Largest..oh wait..

...that would be Oktoberfest, not Carnival (or 'Fasching' as the Bavarians call it), wrong party!  But it seems like the Germans are always partying to the max for some reason or another, contrary to popular belief.  What people probably don't realize is that they just prefer to set the proper parameters for their partying..you know, there's a time and place for everything, and of course, there are certain 'rules' for everything here too, why should partying be any different?!  But then they are guaranteed to get it right and really allow themselves to let loose, when they're supposed to.  Even most local businesses close their doors at 2 pm on Fat Tuesday so they too can partake in the fun!

I've gotten over the fact that Germans don't celebrate Halloween (big disappointment in the beginning) but I soon realized its not that they don't like to dress up in silly, scary, freaky, 'sexy' costumes, its just that they save it for February (when its the coldest) and go all out just once a year.  We got lucky this year, the weather was beautiful and sooo warm:  around 40-degree F/4 C!  But you don't care so much about this when you're dancing the day away at Viktualienmarkt with hundreds of your closest friends and the Caipirinhas are flowing..

T'is (T'was) the Season!

Greeeen Mann..

All the Queens come out!

And the pink nuns of course too..

You'll shoot your eye out kid

Nothing klein about these two!

Hangover dude!

No idea..

Ghostbusters on break.

 

Everyone has a jolly ole time at Fasching!

Oh why stop here?

People of ALL ages celebrating!

ALL AGES

Capis were flowing!

04:44

That's the time I woke up this morning, couldn't go back to sleep (but tried til 5:45) and so then got up to take some photos of all the snow outside!  What a treat!  This is the first snow that I have been here for this winter (and I believe only the 2nd time it really snowed in the city). 

I wish I could get up more often like this, at least before it's really light outside, even a stroll around our neighborhood becomes a new place to discover at this hour.  We have the English Garden and 'Friedensengel' (Peace Angel, one of my favorite Munich landmarks) just a block away, on our very own street we call home, Prinzregentenstrasse.  There's gourmet Kaefer right across the street (warning:  leave your wallet at home for this place!  Just browse and sample the freebies!)  And so much more, but I'll save that for another post!

Hope you enjoy a few of my snowy morning shots, time for me to go back to bed:

6:30 a.m.  These car lights are kinda my thang lately..

Car lights mean there were others out and about at this ungodly hour!?!

Europaplatz with Russian Embassy behind (just a block from us)

The light was perfectly shining upon the monument for this shot at 7:10 am..but I blurred the little angel!
(my remedy:  don't zoom in, maybe you won't notice)!

Below the Angel of Peace

6:53 a.m.  ISO 200, f/20, 8 sec... I kinda liked this better! 
Happy Accidents.

@6:52 a.m.  ISO 200, f/4, 1/15 sec.

07:05, and the day has dawned.

In Search of Yoga: Yoga Expo München 2012

Come get your dog down at this year's YogaExpo, here in Munich.  This is a great chance to explore many different styles of yoga by many expert yoga teachers.  Just pay one entrance fee (either 13€ per day on Saturday/Sunday or 2 days for 22€, or all 3 days for 30€).  There is enough to do, see and experience each day to get your money's worth, some suggestions I can recommend firsthand:

• German-American Patrick Broome is teaching a jivamutki class each day - GO!  He will leave you feeling like you've been to Samadhi and back.  He brought the Jivamutki style to Germany from New York, which has become quite popular here as well.
  
• Susanne Giesse is a fun, soothing, spirited teacher who gives the gift of a deeply rooted yet uplifting practice.  You can't help but smile in her class.   She will be teaching some YogaWorks classes which is the teacher training I did in 2010 at her beautiful studio, Yogalounge in Pullach (just outside of Munich central).  If you can't make a workshop, get to her studio sometime soon!  Susanne teaches Sat, Sun.
  
• Jasmin Kirstein, owner of MySportLady in Munich and a heartfelt teacher, will lead a unique type of yoga class, Hormone Yoga and Meditation (and I will assist!).  She learned from the pioneer of Hormone Yoga, Dinah Rodriguez who founded this method.  Even if your hormones don't need balancing it's a calming and relaxing class.  Depending on how many attendees are there, you'll even receive a mini massage!  The meditation will leave you...well & happy!

I think the Handstand workshop sounds like fun and I highly recommend trying an Iyengar style class.  This style is so valueable for a safe, precise method of practicing yoga (which seems more and more to fall by the wayside these days).  Their teacher trainings are much more rigorous and take a lot longer than most to accomplish.  Strong focus on technique, sequence and timing separate this from other yoga styles.

At this YogaExpo one can dabble in the whole yogi lifestyle without committing by making the rounds:  Ayurveda methods, vegetarian foods, kirtan concerts, yoga for kids, accessories/equipment/clothing, lectures, meditation workshops.  As the popular Yoga Journal puts it, "Eine Messe für Körper, Geist und Seele" or "A Tradeshow for Body, Mind and Soul."
Hope to see you there!