German Artist to Provide New Look at Dane County

March 19, 2014
County Supervisor Chuck Erickson, 608.212.8753
County Board

Sister County of Kassel Sends PhotographerChristian Schaudernato Explore Themes of Technology and Society

 

Christian Schauderna, a photographer from Landkreis Kassel in central Germany, will take residence in Dane County from May 1 - 15 as part of the Sister County relationship between the two municipalities. Dane County is partnering with Edgewood College to host Schauderna with the College providing studio space and logistical expertise.

 

Schauderna, 34, will “create a series of portraitures in Madison, where people are dressed in clothes of different materials. These photos will be shot in front of town settings to create a context between the persons, the technical aspect represented by the ‘clothes’ and the city of Madison and Dane County,” according to his application. He was selected from several applicants by the committee of Landkreis Kassel officials.

 

“Any culture is best represented in its arts, so a cultural exchange based on the arts just makes perfect sense,” said Supervisor Chuck Erickson, a member of the Kassel-Dane Sister County Task Force. “This community has such an active and vibrant arts community, and it’ll make for a really meaningful exchange to welcome Mr. Schauderna as part of it for a few weeks. We couldn’t be more thrilled to host him and take a look at our own home community through his lens.”

 

The visit is the second artistic exchange between the counties. In 2012, Madison sculptor Michael Velliquette visited Kassel for two weeks for the EUARCA exhibition. Velliquette created a 12-foot multi-media sculpture called Power Source.

 

The $5,000 cost of Schauderna’s residency will be entirely borne by donations, which the Kassel-Dane Sister County Task Force is actively pursuing. All contributions are tax deductible and go directly to Edgewood College, not Dane County. The task force is also seeking models for Schauderna to photograph.

 

A reception will be held on May 16th, 5-7:00PM, for Schauderna, on the Edgewood College Campus at the Edgewood Art Gallery, "The Stream". The reception is open to the public.