Isa Melsheimer grew up on a vineyard in Reil on the Moselle. From 1991 to 1997, she studied painting at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin (now Berlin University of the Arts) in the Georg Baselitz master class.[3]
In her artistic work, Isa Melsheimer deals with the built environment and explores the conditions for its design and adjustment. She is interested in the history of the architectural styles – especially the legacy of Modernism and the 1950s-70s examples of concrete architecture – as well as the influence of humans on nature.
One focus of her work is on surreal, often fragile living landscapes and improvised dwellings.[4]
Melsheimer's site-specific installations playfully puzzle architectural and urban spaces by mixing subjective memories, current events, symbols, and metaphors. In exhibitions, she displays spatial tension made of strings inspired by shell structures, for example.[5]
Another series of works are gouaches in which architectural and design icons are quoted and, together with natural motifs (animals, plants), mutate into fantastic spaces.[6]
Isa Melsheimer works with simple materials such as ceramics, concrete, glass, metal, wood, but also with yarn and fabric, plants, furnishings, and everyday objects.[7]
Projects
2014: THE BEE TREASURE. International Summer festival 2014, Kampnagel Hamburg, artistic direction and choreography: Barbara Schmidt-Rohr; installation/set/costumes: Isa Melsheimer; choreography: Frank Willens and Maria F. Scaroni; dramaturgy: Thomas Schaupp; music/sound: Richard von der Schulenburg
2011: EXPEDACTION: Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand. O32c Workshop, Berlin with Arno Brandlhuber and Christopher Roth
2010: gimme shelter. Premiere: 13.05.2010, Live Art Festivals 2010, Kampnagel Hamburg; choreography and performance: Frank Willens and Ulrike Bodammer with their son Elijas; installation: Isa Melsheimer; dramaturgy: Robert Steijn; lightning: Bruno Pocheron; idea and concept: Irmela Kastner and Barbara Schmidt-Rohriii; “Oceanfront Nights” with Arno Brandlhuber Art Basel/Miami Beach; Concrete Society, Lecture on ideological clash, architectural destruction and brutiful objects; Concrete Society with Arno Brandlhuber, Anna-Catharina Gebbers, Bibliothekswohnung; Exhibition project: Blickwechsel. Installation “Unloved Plants” in the Forstgarten/Museum Kurhaus Kleve
2005: Scholarship The Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas and Scholarship Civitella Raniere Foundation, Umbertide, Italy
2002: Scholarship Stiftung Kulturfonds, Berlin and Glenfiddich Award for Young Art
2001: Scholarship Schloss Plüschow, Mecklenburg
1999: Scholarship Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral, Bad Ems
Exhibitions (selection)
Solo
2022: Concrete Bodies are Finite, Centre international d'art et du paysage Île de Vassivière
2021: Compost, MAMAC | Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain
2020: Der unerfreuliche Zustand der Textur. KINDL – Center for contemporary Art, Berlin
2018: Rain, Le 19 Crac, Montbéliard; The Year of the Whale. Fogo Island Arts; Meatboliten. Kunstverein Heppenheim, Heppenheim;[9]Psychotropische Landschaften. Städtische Galerie Delemenhorst, Delmenhorst[10]
2015: We live in townscape and, after a trek, we shop in Futurism. Art3, Valence; Kontrastbedürfnis. Ernst-Barlach-Haus, Hamburg; Examinations of the Origins. Quartz Studio, Turin
2023: Fragment of an infinite discourse.Lenbachhaus, Munich; Pride and Prejudice. University Gallery of the Angewandte in Heiligenkreuzerhof Vienna; High Spirits. Monopol Berlin, Berlin
2022: It is the scenery that moves. Brotéria, Lisbon; Delivery Hero. O P E N Berlin, Isa Melsheimer & Oliver Mark; Rohkunstbau XXVII Altdöbern Castle; Venican stars. Art Museum Chur, Switzerland; Blanc de Blancs.Villa Schöningen, Potsdam
2021: I never wanted to be a constructivist! Kunstverein Pforzheimvi; 6 of 60 | Black + White.Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum, Berlin; FRagile. Municipal Museums Heilbronn / Kunsthalle Vogelmann, Heilbronn; Rituals of the present. Künstlerhaus Sootbörn, Hamburg; Anything Goes? Berlin Architectures of the 1980s, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
2020: Glass and concrete. Manifestations of the impossible.MARTa Herford; On everyone’s lips. Wolfsburg Art Museum; My father, my neighbors, my friends and their friends. Haubrok foundation FAHRBEREITSCHAFT, Berlin; Everything in Wonderland. Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden
2019: Made in Marl. Sculpture Museum Glaskasten Marl
2018: Room XVII. Werkhalle wiesenburg, Berlin; Frozen to Pieces. Gussglashalle, Berlin; Art Biesenthal. Biesenthal; Belonging to a Place. Gallery at the Embassy of Canada, Washington, USA; Women House.National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, USA
2017: Stories of Nature.Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation (mumok), Vienna; Urban Lights Ruhr. Urban Space Marl and Sculpture Museum Glaskasten Marl; Between Spaces. Center for Art and Public Space, Biesdorf Palace, Berlin
2016: Ready for the stage/1st act. Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck Foundation, Rolandseck; Concrete.Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna; Microscopie du banc. Mirco Onde, Center d’art de L’Onde, Wélizy-Villacoublay; France
2015: the difficult space. kunsthaus muerz, Mürzzuschlag, Austria; Parc de Sculptures Contemoraines. Domaine Du Muy, Le Muy, France; Harmony and upheaval reflections of chines landscapes. Marta Herford; variations LE CORBUSIER. Chateâu de Carros, Carros France; Tapisserie? De Picasso à Messager. Musée des Beaux-Arts; Angers France; (im)possible! Artist as architects. Mara Herford; Hunters & collectors in contemporary art. Villa Merkel, Esslingen
2014: Hunters & collectors in art.Morsbroich Museum, Leverkusen; What models can do. Museum for Contemporary Art, Siegen; Rapunzel & Co. Of towers and people in art. Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck Foundation; Contradictory Contours / Spaces and Interspaces. Märkisches Museum Witten; Fata morgana. Ikob – Museum of Contemporary Art, Eupen Belgium
2013: Power. Delusion. Vision. The tower and urban giants in sculpture. Municipal Museum, Heilbronn; Schauplatz Stadt. Mülheim an der Ruhr; HANDARBEIT Material and symbolism. Museum Kunst der Westküste, Alkersum/Föhr
2011: Mondes inventés, Mondes habités. Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean (Mudam), Luxembourg; Interior Worlds.Museum Kunst der Westküste, Alkersum/Föhr; Pamphile Show #3. Falckenberg Collection Hamburg; Capitain Pamphile.Deichtorhallen, Hamburg
2010: 15 years Villa Aurora – Transatlantic Impulses. Academy of Arts, Berlin; (re)designing nature. Künstlerhaus, Vienna; Solde migratoire. Biennale de Belleville, Paris; FischGrätenMelkStand. Temporary Kunsthalle Berlin
2009: Cologne Sculpture 5. Sculpture Park Cologne; New light at the lake. Maschsee, Hannover; Le Travail de Rivière. Center d’art contemporian d’Ivry-le Crédac, Ivry-sur- Seine
2008: On Produceability. Alti Aylik, Istanbul, Turkey; Lizabaeth Oliveria L.A., Los Angeles
