I was born in West-Berlin in 1962. Yeah, I was a wall baby.
The parted city, the wall, the fact, that everyone inside the wall – the allies – were protecting me/us and everyone around the wall was resenting me/us, fascinated me. Security on a special island. The situation was exciting, also the fact, that no one of our relatives were visiting us. Too dangerous. But I always felt save.
I grew up with art from a very young age on and started making art and artisan objects at the age of ten. It was normal, my way of expressing my feelings, my world.
In the 80th I begann studying politics in Berlin and then very quick squatted a house in West Berlin, to explore the responsibility of freedom, the rules of society, my life as a young female artist. I changed my master to art history and studied in Berlin and the Italien language in Italy. The historical background of art was new and very interesting for me.
In the 90th I became a mother of three amazing children. My work as an artist became a special layer. I am a female artist. That’s important for my work, the way I want to present my work, myself. I began organizing my own exhibitions (often together with sculptor Uwe Carow). I am fascinated by locations, rooms, places. There is always a connection between the location I’m living or exhibiting in and my work. I love to create experiences.
I started writing in the midst of the 90th, discovered screen writing and worked in the film industry. Storytelling is a part of my art work, I studied it intensely for over two decades and published over 30 books for young adults. (If this part of my life interest you – klick to KatrinBongard.com)
Photos and film aways interested me. The internet also had a huge impact on me from its very beginning. Everything opened up. The possibility to show yourself, your work, pictures, texts to the world still exists me. Websites are not only shops or windows into a world, they are more: A place in the digital world, where you can express your opinion, your mindset. Create and expand without boundaries. Exhibitions were furthermore important. They are more than a show or a market place. Together with Uwe Carow I create exhibitions about certain subjects, themes, locations, feelings, our relation ship, men and women.
Recently we went further and created a new exhibition format: EXPLORATIONS – are exhibitions in progress. The audience can watch as we explore. More about Explorations