NONOS

FRANZISKA AND MERCEDES WELTE The Making of NONOS The Welte sisters produce three-dimensional, gracefully feminine sculptures out of steel, carbon, epoxy resin and lightfast pigments. By now, Franziska and Mercedes Welte are well established as specialists for figural, female sculptures, which they launched under the term NONOS . The sisters have been collaborating on their oeuvre since 2005. The beginning phase saw them implementing figurative miniatures made of steel. Over time, the format and the size of the artworks were increased, bringing their potentiality to the forefront. NONOS : sculptures with distinctive, well-defined feminine silhouettes that act as a sort of allegorical symbol of joie de vivre. They re- present a congenial fusion of art, with all its idiosyncrasies, and the archetypal principles of femininity: pure love, wisdom, beauty and mindfulness coupled with creative power - all these are anchored in the sisters’ artworks. The stylistic elements and the choice of colour tell of the autobiographic life experiences and perspectives of the artists. As to the origin of the term NONOS and the meaning behind it - now that is a closely guarded secret. The designation “ NONOS ” is protected by copyright since 2005. The figures are modelled on the archetypal principles of femininity. Accordingly, the main task is to exemplify this creative potential. With their aesthetic language of form, full of clear inner strength, the NONOS make a confident and assertive appearance. At the same time, they also transmit a sense of delicate poetry, freedom and independence. NONOS represent sensory pleasure and a love of life, and also make reference to the cosmological cycle of becoming, being and passing away. It is the great freedom in the reception of the works that makes them so fascinating for the observer, inviting him or her to actively participate in the perception of the art. A strong bond connects the artists and their NONOS . Luckily, the sanctuary of Wellen- stein castle by Lake Constance offers plenty of space for a symbiotic state of cohabitation. I Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. Phänomenologie der Wahrnehmung [Phenomenology of Perception], Berlin 1966, p. 77. II Ecco, Umberto. Das offene Kunstwerk [The Open Work], translated from the Italian by Günter Memmert, Frankfurt am Main 1977. III Han makes the intangible tangible: the aesthetics of a smooth and polished appearance as a pre-programmed statement on a seemingly already perfect uniform world that can be transmitted anywhere at any time and which, with the gestures of Like and Share, is framed within the chic, flashing design of the globally popular smartphones. Beauty as a sheer craving for admiration, as a delocalising, disneyfying and pornographic advertising aesthetic in the style of Jeff Koons. Cf.: Byung-Chul Han. Die Errettung des Schönen [Saving Beauty], Frankfurt am Main 2015. IV Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. Phänomenologie der Wahrnehmung [Phenomenology of Perception], Berlin 1966, p. 251. V Burke’s investigation is considered the classic text of empiricist-sensualist aesthetics. What made history, in particular, was his distinction between the beautiful and the sublime. Cf. Strube, Werner (ed.), Edmund Burke. Vom Erhabenen und Schönen. Philosophische Untersuchung über den Ursprung unserer Ideen vom Erhabenen und Schönen [On the Sublime and Beautiful. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful], translated from the English by Friedrich Bassenge. Reissued by the publisher. (Philosophische Bibliothek 324), Hamburg 1989. VI Kant seeks the sublime and the beautiful not only in the phenomenon of aesthetics, but also in the character of humans, thus bringing moral questions into play – as well as a hierarchy of the sublime over the beautiful. Cf. Kant, Immanuel. Beobachtungen über das Gefühl des Schönen und Erhabenen [Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime], Königsberg 1786. NONOISM …now and in the future, this concept stands for a delicate and yet powerfully intertwined ensem- ble of colour, shape and movement. The NONOS convey femininity combined with sensual joy and unin- hibited, life-affirming creativity. However, they also present an artistic confrontation with questions about self-determination and heteronomy or present and future. ARTISTIC CATEGORISATION The fully plastic sculptures, which are structured on all sides, shimmer between smaller-than-life and larger-than-life works all the way to expansive installations encompassing an entire room. They begin to oscillate, filling their surroundings with energetic vibrations. The new artworks stun visitors with their mo- numental appearance. Despite their size, the Gothically influenced, elongated sculptures manage to keep their graceful, aesthetically balanced language of design. They convey a dematerialised weightlessness. A kind of spiritualisation that creates a link between the earthly and the cosmic sphere. Colour awakens strong energetic impulses in the onlooker. Between heaven and earth, between light and dark; this is where colours are formed, says an Indian Sutra. The shades of green and turquoise represent the sky and the sea, but also self-awareness, transcendence and spirituality. As symbols for the sea, the air and the sky, they make an iconic appearance. With their sculptures, the artists Franziska and Mercedes Welte execute anatomic perfection with expan- sive dynamics that enter into direct interaction with the recipient. It is this oscillating sense of spaciousness, together with the smooth, refined hue of the surface design, that allows the observer to experience the art in a manner that appeals to all the senses. Depending on the position chosen by the observer, the varying angles at which the light falls give way to mysterious reflections and shadow play. Maurice Merleau-Ponty describes per- ception as a form of infiltration into the dimension of creation. In phenomenology, reflection is the uncovering of that which is unreflected. I The graceful, floating design language of the sculptures takes the observer along on a transcendent perceptive experience. The aesthetics of reception as a sensory perception of art allows the continuation thereof, and ultimately, the completion of the open work of art lies in the eye of the beholder. II RECEPTION AND ICONOGRAPHY “In the social media age, the Smooth is the calling card of the present” III . The aesthetics of smoothness lead to a kind of ennoblement of the familiar. Perception is a union of the gaze with that which is being viewed. Sometimes it requires looking through the visible in order to discover what is hidden. IV The NONOS fuse this polished ideal of beauty with the sensitivity, vulnerability and brokenness that give beauty its power of seduction and eroticism. The poetry of beauty goes hand in hand with lust and joy for life. And the enticing duel between the sublime and the beautiful plays into this here. V The elongated and dynamic design langua- ge evokes the aesthetics of a Gothic “Beautiful Virgin Mary” statue, thus emphasising the sensually sublime appearance of the sculptures. A soothing feeling of amazement settles over the onlooker. The graceful, well-proportioned exterior and the aesthetic gown of colour result in a beauty that awakens feelings of love. VI BOTTOM LINE Franziska and Mercedes Welte are constantly coming up with new forms of expression. Alongside painting, relief and sculpture, they also design furniture and other design objects. The NONOS have gained broad recognition and can be seen at international art fairs and exhibitions. The installation of the Margravine Agnes has been acquired by the Klosterneuburg Monastery and will be on display once more from May 2019. As part of this year’s Biennale, the destination of the NONOS ’ next journey will be Venice! An intriguing liaison; the NONOS , the Giardino della Marinaressa and the sea – it remains exciting! Text: Gertraud Kamml, BA 3 2