Jonathan Kraus "Honey Pot" Ausstellungs-Vernissage

In the organizer's words:

Jonathan Kraus
Honey Pot
SETAREH X, Hohe Straße 53, 40213, Düsseldorf
Vernissage on 15.11.2024, 6 - 8 pm
The artist will be present. Come by for drinks, music and to experience these works in person.

SETAREH X is pleased to announce the upcoming solo exhibition Honey Pot by emerging Berlin-based artist Jonathan Kraus. The exhibition features Kraus' latest works, in which he takes familiar visual motifs from classical art and transposes them into a contemporary context, rich with humor, wit and subversive elements.

The exhibition runs from November 15, 2024 - January 4, 2025 and you are cordially invited to visit!

Kraus manages to extract familiar figures, animals and objects from famous masterpieces and re-contextualize them, creating a fascinating tension between homage and playful critique. Kraus' frequent use of the square format references the work of Josef Albers, who is known for his exploration of color theory and the compositional possibilities of the square. Kraus' works are closely interwoven with art history and make use of its canon, but he goes beyond mere reference and opens up a multi-layered conversation between past and present, continuity and change.

Honey Pot presents powerful, intellectual yet sincere works that explore the authority and structure of the art historical canon, both celebrating and playfully disrupting its conventions. In this way, the exhibition shows how art is capable of outlasting eras and raising timeless questions anew.

Jonathan Kraus, a graduate of the HfBK Dresden (2014) and the HGB Leipzig (2018) as a master's student of Prof. Annette Schröter, was awarded the Leuchtturm1917 Award in 2021 and was a finalist for the BBA Artist Prize and the Eb-Dietzsch Art Prize. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions across Germany and he lives and works in Berlin. Honey Pot is Kraus's second exhibition at SETAREH, the first was the group show WOW NOW at SETAREH Berlin in 2022.

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English Below

Jonathan Kraus
Honey Pot
SETAREH X, Hohe Straße 53, 40213, Düsseldorf
Opening on 15.11.2024, 6 - 8 pm
The artist will be in attendance. Join us for drinks, music, and to experience these works in person.

SETAREH X is excited to announce Honey Pot, an upcoming solo exhibition of Jonathan Kraus, an emerging talent from Berlin. The exhibition showcases Kraus's latest work, where he skillfully reimagines familiar subjects from classical art, bringing them into a contemporary realm rich with humor, wit, and subversion.

In borrowing iconic figures, animals, and objects from well-known masterpieces and recontextualizing them, he creates a new image that oscillates between homage and playful critique. By placing these recognizable motifs into a different time, space, and dialogue, Kraus morphs the original image's intention, infusing each piece with a subtle satire. Through his frequent use of the square format, Kraus draws on the legacy of Josef Albers, renowned for exploring color theory and the compositional possibilities of the square. Kraus takes on the referential image to engage with the art historical canon, relying on its resonance but also expanding upon it, generating a layered conversation between past and present, continuity and disruption.

Classical artworks meet pop culture in a unique approach that highlights Kraus's fascination with art history while simultaneously questioning its traditional boundaries. Honey Pot presents bold, intellectual, and sincere artworks that explore the authority and structure of the canon, both celebrating and playing with its conventions, and highlighting art's ability to transcend eras.

Graduating from the HfBK Dresden (2014) and going on to be a master's student of Prof. Annette Schröter at HGB Leipzig (2018), Jonathan Kraus's talent has been recognized with the Leuchtturm1917 Award in 2021. He was also a candidate for the BBA Artist Prize and the Eb-Dietzsch-Kunstpreis. His work has been featured in several exhibitions across Germany while living and working in Berlin. Honey Pot is Kraus's second exhibition at SETAREH, the first being the group show WOW NOW at SETAREH Berlin in 2022.