Am anderen Ende der Leine

The mastery of versatile techniques in Anne Koskinenʼs works always merges seamlessly with their conceptual starting points. 

In her latest exhibition, Koskinen has returned to the origins of her artistic career: painting. Drawing on the history of painting and the German tradition of image studies, the works in Am anderen Ende der Leine (At the Other End of the Leash) brings the focus to bear on everyday life and the complex relationships between humans and animals.

The return to brushes and oil paint is a kind of homecoming, not only to the Germany of her student days – where Koskinen ‘spent seven years learning how to apply oil paint to canvas’ – but also to the childhood freedom to choose her subject matter. She has set out to paint her everyday environment, the views and imageries around her that make up her days. Since last spring, the everyday aesthetics of Anne Koskinenʼs life have been dominated by Sefi, a red pinscher she has raised exclusively in the German language.

Sefi, as well as the artist’s cats, is seen in the paintings through a gentle, almost idealising gaze. On canvas, the control associated with the training of a dog or some other pet takes the form of a leash; it is not only an instrument of power but also a reminder of the distance between the two ends of the leash – the distance between animal and human.

Galerie Anhava

3.–27.11.2022

Tue-Fri 11.00-17.00

Sat-Sun 12.00-16.00

Free entry