Artist Statement
My work reflects on environmental concerns and addresses our (humankind’s) relationship to the natural world – as we perceive it and interact with it. We – modern society – have become increasingly disconnected from nature. We have come to see our planet as a mine to extract the resources we need to maintain our extravagant life-styles, and as a dumping station for our toxic waste products. I believe, however, to secure a “habitat” for future generations (of our own species as well as others) it is essential that we tune ourselves in with nature and re-gain greater awareness of our planet, understand it better and take better stewardship of it. In my work process I look at indigenous as well as ancient cultures, whose life philosophies perceive mankind as an integrated part of nature, rather than attempting to dominate over it.
I believe that through the means of art it is possible to point out the importance of environmental soundness – through speaking to emotion and passion for nature, and through unlocking an ancient sense of freedom and awe. I believe that admiration for nature is inherent in all of us, but tends to get subdued for a majority of our planet’s population who live busy consumer-oriented lifestyles. I believe that we as artists have the power to reach out to society and direct public attention – in an inspirational non-intrusive way – a way that might reach audiences more readily than plain results of scientific study – which can seem inaccessible or tedious.
My artworks are art/research projects. My work process starts with photo-and video mappings, sound recordings, note-taking, writing, and research about places and their historical, societal and ecological circumstances. Mythology plays a particular role, as it bears invaluable information about places and the people who live there and used to live there in earlier times. In my projects I intertwine facts, old mythologies and my personal experiences as a person and artist. I create video pieces and immersive media installations with multiple video projections, sound collages and narrative.
Other projects are ephemeral works in natural environments – that aim to accentuate natural features and emphasize the sublime beauty and the extraordinary of nature. While nature erases these pieces within a short time, they live on in their documentation and are later used in video installations or become photographic pieces. An ongoing project is Snow Drawings, participatory art events where I guide communities to create huge drawings on snow-covered landscapes by walking pattern systems with snowshoes.
With my artwork I aim to provoke thought and engage my audiences intellectually. I’m not interested in creating lasting artworks, as I believe our planet is over-saturated with man-made products. While I like to unfold my work into large immersive experiences,
I prefer that it live on in its documentation only, and in the memories of my audiences.
Bio
Sonja Hinrichsen examines urban and natural environments through exploration and research. As an artist she feels the responsibility to address subject matters our society tends to neglect or deny, particularly adverse impacts to the natural world. Her work manifests in immersive video installations, video performances and interventions in nature. Her participatory project “Snow Drawings” engages communities worldwide.
Sonja graduated from the Academy of Art in Stuttgart, Germany in 1997/98, and received a Masters degree in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001.
She has been invited to group- and solo- exhibitions worldwide, amongst others the DePaul Museum in Chicago, Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, the David Brower Center in Berkeley, Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, Chandra Cerrito Contemporary in Oakland, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, Krowswork Gallery in Oakland, the Somarts Culture Center in San Francisco, RedLine Gallery in Denver, the Peeler Art Center in Greencastle, IL, the Colorado Photo Art Center in Denver, Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, School 33 Art Center in Baltimore, Saarlaendisches Kuenstlerhaus in Germany, Organhaus in Chongqing, China, Pier 2 Art Center in Taiwan, and many more.
She has won numerous artist residency awards, such as the Bemis Center in Omaha, Djerassi in California, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Ucross Foundation in WY, Jentel in WY, Women’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY, VCCA in Virginia, Valparaiso in Spain, Fiskars in Finland, Saari/Kone Foundation in Finland, Taipei Artist Village in Taiwan, only to name a few.
In fall 2009 she served as visiting artist at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where she taught an art/research class culminating in an artist-student exhibition. In summer 2009 she taught a special course for the University of Northern Colorado and PlatteForum Denver to explore innovative ways for educators to incorporate art into their school curricula. In 2007 she co-curated “Goldrush”, a traveling exhibition featuring artists from the San Francisco Bay Area at venues in Slovenia, Germany and San Francisco.
Sonja’s ongoing community arts project Snow Drawings has been featured on numerous art, design, culture and environmental websites and blogs, such as the Huffington Post, IGNANT, Spiegel online (Germany), WIRED (US), The Creator’s Project (Germany) and in magazines, including Public Art Review (US), Revolve Magazine (Belgium, environmental magazine), WIRED (Japan), SOMA Magazine (US), TRACCE (Italian Archeology Magazine), MZONE (Chinese Art Magazine), Yellow Scene Magazine (US) and many more. Snow Drawings were included in the book “Designed for the Future, 80 Practical Ideas for a Sustainable World”, by Jared Green and in “INDA 9 – International Drawing Annual”, published by the Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center, Cincinnati, OH, and in an in an Environmental Arts Calendar (2014).
Among others Snow Drawings has aired on KQED-Spark (San Francisco’s PBS station), MSNBC, The Discovery Channel and public TV Tokyo. Photographic prints and video have been shown in exhibitions in California, Colorado and in Europe. Snow Drawings are also featured in elementary school books in Germany and France, as well as the French youth magazines “Le Petit Quotidien” and “J’apprends a Lire” and a US high school course book. A print from the Snow Drawings 2013 series (Lake Catamount, CO) was awarded First Prize by the Piedmont Art Center in Piedmont, California.