Sandra Senn – I place the meadow in the vase

For twenty years, Sandra Senn (* 1973 in Baden, lives in Berlin and Baden) has been developing a diverse artistic oeuvre which combines photography, painting and digital media. Language has always been one of her favoured means of expression. She creates generally short, lyrical texts, which sometimes take on an aphoristic character. An aphorism is a phrase encapsulating a thought, a saying. In recent times, Sandra Senn has presented her text installations in an exhibition context, but also in public spaces, with their context referencing the character of the site. Following many years in Berlin, Sandra Senn is once again living near Baden. She has been well-acquainted with the Langmatt since the 1990s; the unique time capsule that is the Langmatt has become very close to her heart. It therefore made sense to ask her to act as guest artist and create a comprehensive new text work for the anniversary exhibition Chamber of the Heart – 30 Years of the Museum Langmatt for a comprehensive new text work. Sandra Senn is exhibiting 38 subtle text interventions, created for the Langmatt’s rooms, the historical annexe building, and further locations in the park.

These short, lyrical speech images capture the atmosphere of these locations or lend form to a daydream, a memory. Sometimes they connect with an object in the collection, or a detail of the spaces; sometimes, they allow one’s thoughts free rein. The spectrum ranges from individual visually vivid words to pregnant aphorisms and lyrical speech, with humour and hidden depths. To achieve this, Sandra Senn uses nothing more than a single sentence that sums up a fleeting feeling with poetic precision. Often, her delicately intricate sentences are concealed within the room, where it takes a second or third look to discover them. These miniature installations engage with the object or space in surprising, associative dialogues. A shimmering speech act meanders through the building, flaming out here and there into a variety of presences and inviting us on a startling journey of discovery, a journey through time. In this way, it reveals to the public, in a seemingly incidental way, a new perspective on the multifaceted nature of the historic Langmatt ensemble.

In the “Grüner Salon” (green salon), Sandra Senn is exhibiting new artistic photographs, created during her researches in the Langmatt in autumn 2019. With her own polychrome sensibility, with a lack of focus, and with energetic movement, she transforms details of the Langmatt and the park into romantic pictures with the character of a fairytale. They joyfully unfold the wealth of colour and form and demonstrate the dreamlike and untroubled way in which the mediums of painting and photography can come together today. From 28 August 2020, Sandra Senn will be adding five new works to her solo exhibition in three additional historical rooms: 18ième-room, dining room and veranda on the first floor. Thematically, the works are based on views of the Langmatt park. In contrast to the existing paintings, the new works have moved even further away from the motif and show the orchestral energy of free-flowing colour. In this way the Langmatt receives some new, surprising accents.

Publication accompanying the exhibition: Sandra Senn – Ich stell die Wiese in die Vase.
With a foreword by Markus Stegmann, Director Museum Langmatt. Available in our shop.