Ausstellungseröffnung – Phoebe Collings-James: Let this be the anchor

Opening of the exhibition Let this be the anchor by Phoebe Collings-James.

Welcome: Janine Behrens (Management)

Introduction: Marie Oucherif (Artistic Director)

This summer, the artist Phoebe Collings-James (born 1987 in London, UK) will present new ceramic works in her solo exhibition Let this be the anchor at the KH Künstler:innenhaus Bremen. The works of the artist Collings-James show different moods and surfaces. They are characterized by a great variety of traces, signs and structures and deal with themes such as language, emotions and violence. Marks and signs can always be found on the surfaces of the works in the artist's body of work. They function as traces of resistance, while performative processes characterize the creation of the works and thus inscribe the body directly into their production. Inscribing, reworking and layering are central to Phoebe Collings-James' practice and form a poetic foundation from which the works grow and continually change.

In this new series of works conceived for the KH Künstler:innenhaus Bremen, Phoebe Collings-James devotes herself to the image of the tower. She formally explores it as a focal point, frame and supporting structure. The tower appears not only as an architectural object, but also as a figure of thought: a symbol of uprightness and orientation, as well as fragility and potential collapse. This tension between collapse and supporting structure in the exhibition can be described using Patricia Noxolo's concept of the "fractal". Recognizable patterns that are repeated on different levels create order in the midst of complexity and apparent instability. The sculptures in the exhibition take up this gesture: not monumental, but fragmentary, mobile, vulnerable.

Curator: Marie Oucherif

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Opening of the exhibition Let this be the anchor by Phoebe Collings-James.

Welcome: Janine Behrens (Executive Director)

Introduction: Marie Oucherif (Artistic Director)

In summer 2026, artist Phoebe Collings-James (b. 1987 in London, UK) will present new ceramic works at KH Künstler:innenhaus Bremen for her solo show Let this be the anchor.

Collings-James' works display a range of moods and surfaces. They are characterized by a rich variety of traces, marks, and textures, and engage with themes of language, emotion, and violence. Markings and signs, which consistently appear on the surfaces of the artist's works, function as traces of resistance, while performative processes shape their creation, directly embedding the body into their making.

Inscribing, reworking, and layering are central to Collings-James' practice, establishing a poetic ground from which the works grow and constantly change.

With this new body of work, conceived specifically for KH Künstler:innenhaus Bremen, Phoebe Collings-James turns to the image of the tower. She explores it formally as a vantage point, a framework, and a supporting structure. The tower thus appears not only as an architectural object, but also as a conceptual figure: a symbol of elevation and orientation, as well as fragility and potential collapse. This tension between collapse and supporting structure within the exhibition can be described through Patricia Noxolo's concept of the "fractal." Recognizable patterns that repeat across different levels create a sense of order amidst complexity and apparent instability. The sculptures in the exhibition take up this gesture: they are not monumental, but fragmentary, mobile, and vulnerable.

Curator: Marie Oucherif