Karl Schwiesow: Sinking Feeling

Karl Schwiesow: Sinking Feeling

May-October 2025

This exhibition explores the interplay between handmade ceramics and reconfigured domestic objects through processes of addition and subtraction, emphasizing the creation of works "out of parts." Schwiesow builds clay pieces from individual components that are later combined or edited and deconstructs everyday objects to recombine them in unexpected ways. The result challenges the viewer’s understanding of open and closed semantic systems—where sensory experience and language interact to shape meaning.

By subverting functional fixedness, Schwiesow highlights the tension between utility and artistic expression. Through sensory engagement, the work invites viewers to rethink the physical and associative characteristics of objects, offering a platform for dialogue about cultural experiences and assumptions. This approach transforms objects into dynamic starting points for reimagining meaning and purpose.