Stand by Me
Künstler: Elmar Hermann
Stand by Me is an exhibition by Elmar Hermann (*1978) at Island of Contemporary Art in Cologne. As part of the preparations for the show, a dialogue-based exploration presented itself as a natural course of action.
ICA: Your own working method as an artist is characterised by collaborations, ephemeral moments and the blurring of boundaries of authorship. What led you to this approach, and how does it fit with your understanding of art?
ELMAR: For me, art is first and foremost a form of communication. We use images, language and situations to interact with other people. What fascinates me is how diverse this communication can be – it can be humorous, confrontational, unifying or even unsettling. I am particularly interested in the tension between general comprehensibility and specific ‘languages’, for instance within art. At the same time, time plays an important role: how long do we want to engage with a particular statement, an image, etc.? Some works have an impact for only a brief moment, whilst others unfold over a longer period. I feel this ephemeral quality, as well as timing and rhythm, is heightened by the environment of the underpass. My approach to authorship is deliberately open. I frequently work with quotations, images by others or existing works, because I assume that cultural signs are fundamentally available. For me, it is less about ownership and more about exchange. For me, incorporating other perspectives isn’t a curatorial act, but an artistic process – I see exhibitions as encounters or settings in which different figures interact with one another.
ICA: Your own working method as an artist is characterised by collaborations, ephemeral moments and the blurring of boundaries of authorship. What led you to this approach, and how does it fit with your understanding of art?
ELMAR: For me, art is first and foremost a form of communication. We use images, language and situations to interact with other people. What fascinates me is how diverse this communication can be – it can be humorous, confrontational, unifying or even unsettling. I am particularly interested in the tension between general comprehensibility and specific ‘languages’, for instance within art. At the same time, time plays an important role: how long do we want to engage with a particular statement, an image, etc.? Some works have an impact for only a brief moment, whilst others unfold over a longer period. I feel this ephemeral quality, as well as timing and rhythm, is heightened by the environment of the underpass. My approach to authorship is deliberately open. I frequently work with quotations, images by others or existing works, because I assume that cultural signs are fundamentally available. For me, it is less about ownership and more about exchange. For me, incorporating other perspectives isn’t a curatorial act, but an artistic process – I see exhibitions as encounters or settings in which different figures interact with one another.
Öffnungszeiten:
MO: 00:00–23:59
DI: 00:00–23:59
MI: 00:00–23:59
DO: 00:00–23:59
FR: 00:00–23:59
SA: 00:00–23:59
SO: 00:00–23:59
Öffnungszeiten nach Vereinbarung. www.ica.cologne
MO: 00:00–23:59
DI: 00:00–23:59
MI: 00:00–23:59
DO: 00:00–23:59
FR: 00:00–23:59
SA: 00:00–23:59
SO: 00:00–23:59
Öffnungszeiten nach Vereinbarung. www.ica.cologne
Adresse:
Unterführung U-Bahnhof, Ebertplatz 23, 50668 Köln , Neustadt-Nord
Unterführung U-Bahnhof, Ebertplatz 23, 50668 Köln , Neustadt-Nord
Haltestelle: Ebertplatz
KVB-Linien:
12151618
Bildnachweis: Elmar Hermann / ICA
Weitere Ausstellungen im selben Artspace („Off-Space")
Offene Ateliers (11.09.2026)
Sketchandslurp das Festival (18.07.2026)
In Limbo Party (25.04.2026)
DEKOMPRESSION : Eine Dr. Zerrberus Solo Show (10.04.2026)