The work of Judith Leinen is the product of communication within a collection of experiences consisting of space, language, encounters and material. It is first and foremost sculptural. Her installations and mobile pieces want to tell stories but listen to stories as well. They are triggers of communication that use archetypal opportunities of places while extending and inverting the environments in which they reside.Her interactive sculptures and space-related installations revolve around parallel worlds, material, varying concepts of reality and fiction, participation and the analysis of systems. The appearance of her work in public space conjures the unexpected. It forces the viewer to leave his comfort- zone. Her process is centered around the place and involves investigating and expanding its contents and contextual existence. Judith Leinen looks for unknowns and researches the complexity and synchronicity of things formally and otherwise. Her work uncovers the great potential of the volatile and intangible communication between a place and its people. Together with her art-collective Upper Bleistein, as well as in her own practice, she experiments with the boundaries of sculpture and explores public and hidden spaces.
Judith Leinen was born in Prüm at the German-Belgian border. She graduated from Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz and Kunstakademie Mainz, Germany where she earned degrees in art, mathematics and pedagogics.
Since 2007 she has participated continuously in solo- and group exhibitions and is co-founder of the art collective Upper Bleistein. Judith Leinen has been teaching at California State University, Chico and currently at fatuk, the department of architecture at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Germany and the University of Denver, CO. She works and lives in Boulder, Colorado.
2020-present Assistant Professor fatuk, architecture department, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, (Technical University Kaiserslautern), Germany 2019-present Adjunct Faculty School of Art and Art History, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA 2015-2018 Assistant Professor fatuk, architecture department, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, (Technical University Kaiserslautern), Germany 2013-2015Guest scholar California State University Chico, USA 2012Staatsexamen pedagogy (BFA) and mathematics (BFA) Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz 2011Staatsexamen fine arts, sculpture (MFA) Kunsthochschule Mainz and Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
PRIZES, STIPENDS AND COLLECTIONS
2020 Fonds Kirchberg, Dancing Hybrid, finalist proposal, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 2019 Prix d‘Art Robert Schuman, shortlisted, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 2019 Residency Unlimited Brooklyn, NY 2018 NAIRS Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst, Residency, Switzerland 2017 Invisibilia, Finalist-Proposal for public commission, Hochschule Ludwigshafen (ongoing) 2016 Sculpture Space, Residency, Utica, New York 2014SOMArts Cultural Center, Curatorial Residency, San Francisco, California 2013Concrete Ballon, public commission for a school yard, IGS Mainz Bretzenheim, Germany 2011 Emy Röder Förderpreis, award for emerging artist, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany 2010Landessammlung Rheinland-Pfalz, public collection
EXHIBITION CATALOGUES AND PUBLICATIONS (selection)
2020 Luxus and Glamour ?, Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen, Germany 2020 Prix d‘Art Robert Schuman, Museum Simeonsstift, Trier, Germany 2019 AVE magazine print editions, Vienna ave-magazine.com and neu.supersuper.at 2019Plot#3, Allied Productions, Inc., NY, USA 2018 FATUK18, contribution to annual review, Department of Architecture, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany 2017FATUK18, contribution to annual review, Department of Architecture, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany 2017 Emy Röder Preis 2017, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany 2016 Subtext, Metatext, Kontext Ordersee Online-Version issue within academic series, published with TU Kaiserslautern 2015 Freistil, Kunstverein Speyer, Speyer, Germany 2014Wead- women eco artists dialog, Oakland, CA, USA 201251 interviews Collection of Interviews, foreword: Nato Thompson, co-published by Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt and Sternbergpress 2011Aus Upper Bleistein Band 1 Order Monograph published by Gonzo Verlag 2011 Kunstpreis Junger Western, Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, Germany 2010 Fail Better, Kunsthalle Mainz, Mainz, Germany Regionale 2010, Wilhelm Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen, Deutschland
SOLO selection
2017 Architekturgalerie Kaiserslautern, Germany 2016 Sculpture Space, Utica, NY 2015 1078 Gallery, Chico, CA 2013Haus Burgund, Mainz, Germany 2012 Landesmuseum Mainz, Germany 2010 Abgeordnetenhaus (parliamentary building), Germany 2010 BBK-Galerie, (Federal Association of Visual Artists), Mainz, Germany 2009 Biennale „3xKlingeln“, Mainz, Germany public observatory, Mainz, Germany 2008 Haus Mainusch, Mainz, Germany
GROUP selection
2021 Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen, Germany 20201078 gallery, Chico, CA Forum ALTE POST, Pirmasens, Germany (postponed due to the pandemic) 2019 Villa Vauban - Musée d‘Art de la Ville and Cercle de la Cité, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg Compére Collective, Brooklyn, NY, USA betakontext, Berlin, Germany artdepot, Innsbruck, Austria 2018 Fundaziun Nairs, Center d’art contemporana, Scuol, Switzerland Kloster Bentlage, Rheine (with upper Bleistien), German 2017 Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill, Graz, Austria PFAFF Industrial Campus, Kaiserslautern, Germany Rathaus in Bodenheim, Germany 2016just another art for life experience, set 8, betakontext, Berlin Emy Röder Preis 2017 Finalist Show, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany, catalogue 2015 Freistil Kunstverein Speyer, Germany, catalogue Refuge in Refuse, SOMArts, San Francisco, CA, catalogue 2014 Museum Pfalzgalerie, Kaiserslautern, Germany D21 Kunstraum, Leipzig, Germany Yuma Art Museum, The Yuma Symposium, AZ 2013Galerie Waidspeicher, Dreidimensional, public gallery Erfurt, Germany 2012Essenheimer Kunstverein, Sammlung Meerwein,Germany Kunstverein Speyer, Hans Purrmann Preis, finalist-exhibition, public gallery Speyer, catalogue 2011 Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Playing the City, Germany Kunstpreis Junger Westen, finalist-exhibition, Recklinghausen, 2010 Wilhelm-Hack Museum Ludwigshafen, Regionale 2010,Germany, 2009 Kunsthalle Mainz, Fail better II, Germany,catalogue Pengland Mainz, RoomMates, Germany