WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 8…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Day eight, and I couldn’t resist starting another sculptural experiment.
Yesterday I picked up several sheets of high-density polystyrene foam, a material I’ve always loved working with. It breaks beautifully, can be carved effortlessly with a knife, and invites quick, intuitive decisions. It’s light, direct, and wonderfully forgiving—perfect for staying in a playful state of mind.
Today marks the beginning of a new sculpture. What you see is only the very first stage, but that’s exactly what this residency is about: allowing ideas to emerge before knowing where they’ll lead.
I’ll show you tomorrow how this piece develops. I’m just as curious as you are.
Stay with me… it keeps getting more exciting.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #Sculpture #StudioProcess #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 8…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Day eight, and I couldn’t resist starting another sculptural experiment.
Yesterday I picked up several sheets of high-density polystyrene foam, a material I’ve always loved working with. It breaks beautifully, can be carved effortlessly with a knife, and invites quick, intuitive decisions. It’s light, direct, and wonderfully forgiving—perfect for staying in a playful state of mind.
Today marks the beginning of a new sculpture. What you see is only the very first stage, but that’s exactly what this residency is about: allowing ideas to emerge before knowing where they’ll lead.
I’ll show you tomorrow how this piece develops. I’m just as curious as you are.
Stay with me… it keeps getting more exciting.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #Sculpture #StudioProcess #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY AT HOME
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 7
This is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary
@wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today was another day of sketching through materials rather than drawing with a pencil. I continued developing my larger papier-mâché sculpture, adding layers of plaster and testing different materials, allowing the form to evolve through construction rather than planning.
One of the highlights of the day happened beyond my own studio. As part of this residency, I visited the studio of the remarkable sculptor Marc Sparfel @marcsparfel online, but no less inspiring. Seeing his working environment and hearing him speak about sculpture, materials, and process was a genuine privilege. Marc’s practice is dedicated entirely to sculpture, and our conversation was a welcome reminder of how many different paths three-dimensional thinking can take.
Returning to my own work afterwards, I found myself looking at my materials with fresh eyes. That is one of the greatest gifts of an artist residency: stepping outside your own practice for a moment, only to come back with renewed curiosity.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #Sculpture #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY AT HOME
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 7
This is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary
@wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today was another day of sketching through materials rather than drawing with a pencil. I continued developing my larger papier-mâché sculpture, adding layers of plaster and testing different materials, allowing the form to evolve through construction rather than planning.
One of the highlights of the day happened beyond my own studio. As part of this residency, I visited the studio of the remarkable sculptor Marc Sparfel @marcsparfel online, but no less inspiring. Seeing his working environment and hearing him speak about sculpture, materials, and process was a genuine privilege. Marc’s practice is dedicated entirely to sculpture, and our conversation was a welcome reminder of how many different paths three-dimensional thinking can take.
Returning to my own work afterwards, I found myself looking at my materials with fresh eyes. That is one of the greatest gifts of an artist residency: stepping outside your own practice for a moment, only to come back with renewed curiosity.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #Sculpture #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt
“True play is dangerous, subversive, and transformative. It creates spaces of autonomy where we are able to play. And in playing, we can imagine freedom.”
bell hooks, 1999
Exactly why I chose to leave painting behind for two weeks and trust the process instead.
#WobblyWonkyAtHomeArtResidency #contemporarysculptor #artcollector #artcurator
“True play is dangerous, subversive, and transformative. It creates spaces of autonomy where we are able to play. And in playing, we can imagine freedom.”
bell hooks, 1999
Exactly why I chose to leave painting behind for two weeks and trust the process instead.
#WobblyWonkyAtHomeArtResidency #contemporarysculptor #artcollector #artcurator
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 5
This is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today I have a confession to make: I didn’t spend the day in the studio.
Instead, I immersed myself in Berlin’s exhibition scene. My first stop was the Martin-Gropius-Bau, where I visited the current exhibition by Marina Abramović. I found myself surprisingly unsettled. Many of the works were unfamiliar to me and, as I understand it, are being presented publicly for the first time.
Yet, as much as I admire Abramović’s practice, another part of the exhibition captivated me even more. BauBau, an expansive participatory environment created by Kerstin Brätsch, invites children to build, experiment, and invent freely. There was something profoundly inspiring about witnessing such unrestricted creativity. It left a lasting impression on me, and I think it deserves a dedicated post of its own.
Later, I visited König Galerie at St. Agnes to experience Jeppe Hein’s latest installation. As always, I also spent far too much money in Berlin’s wonderful bookshops—but discovering new books is simply part of the process. I’ll share a few of today’s favourite finds at the end of this post.
I also found myself thinking about how much I enjoy stepping into the fashion world from time to time. Recently, I found the fashion show by Rebekka Ruétz highly inspiring—she created parts of her collection from remnants of the apple processing industry in South Tyrol. These kinds of cross-disciplinary approaches resonate deeply with me. There are so many overlaps between art and fashion, and I always find these excursions incredibly enriching.
Tomorrow it’s back to the studio. By now, my papier-mâché sculpture should finally be dry, and I’m looking forward to continuing this journey in a spirit of curiosity, experimentation, and play—without knowing exactly where it will lead.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #BerlinArt #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt
@gropiusbau
@marinaabramovic_______
@jeppehein @johann.koenig @stagnes_berlin
@stagnes_berlin
@rebekkaruetz @fashionweekberlinofficial
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 5
This is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today I have a confession to make: I didn’t spend the day in the studio.
Instead, I immersed myself in Berlin’s exhibition scene. My first stop was the Martin-Gropius-Bau, where I visited the current exhibition by Marina Abramović. I found myself surprisingly unsettled. Many of the works were unfamiliar to me and, as I understand it, are being presented publicly for the first time.
Yet, as much as I admire Abramović’s practice, another part of the exhibition captivated me even more. BauBau, an expansive participatory environment created by Kerstin Brätsch, invites children to build, experiment, and invent freely. There was something profoundly inspiring about witnessing such unrestricted creativity. It left a lasting impression on me, and I think it deserves a dedicated post of its own.
Later, I visited König Galerie at St. Agnes to experience Jeppe Hein’s latest installation. As always, I also spent far too much money in Berlin’s wonderful bookshops—but discovering new books is simply part of the process. I’ll share a few of today’s favourite finds at the end of this post.
I also found myself thinking about how much I enjoy stepping into the fashion world from time to time. Recently, I found the fashion show by Rebekka Ruétz highly inspiring—she created parts of her collection from remnants of the apple processing industry in South Tyrol. These kinds of cross-disciplinary approaches resonate deeply with me. There are so many overlaps between art and fashion, and I always find these excursions incredibly enriching.
Tomorrow it’s back to the studio. By now, my papier-mâché sculpture should finally be dry, and I’m looking forward to continuing this journey in a spirit of curiosity, experimentation, and play—without knowing exactly where it will lead.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #BerlinArt #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt
@gropiusbau
@marinaabramovic_______
@jeppehein @johann.koenig @stagnes_berlin
@stagnes_berlin
@rebekkaruetz @fashionweekberlinofficial
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 4…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary
@wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today is a little different.
Berlin Fashion Week is calling, so I only have a limited amount of time to spend in the studio today. But even a few focused hours are enough to keep the momentum going.
I’m continuing to develop yesterday’s paper construction, layering torn paper with homemade paste and pushing the piece a little further. I’m still working in the spirit of Phyllida Barlow, allowing very different materials to come together in an intuitive, almost assemblage-like way. There is no fixed plan—only curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to let the materials lead.
What excites me most now is waiting.
How will this construction change once everything has dried? Will gravity reshape it? Will unexpected tensions appear? Sometimes the most interesting part of the process begins only after you stop touching the work.
See you tomorrow.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #StudioDiary #PhyllidaBarlow #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 4…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary
@wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today is a little different.
Berlin Fashion Week is calling, so I only have a limited amount of time to spend in the studio today. But even a few focused hours are enough to keep the momentum going.
I’m continuing to develop yesterday’s paper construction, layering torn paper with homemade paste and pushing the piece a little further. I’m still working in the spirit of Phyllida Barlow, allowing very different materials to come together in an intuitive, almost assemblage-like way. There is no fixed plan—only curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to let the materials lead.
What excites me most now is waiting.
How will this construction change once everything has dried? Will gravity reshape it? Will unexpected tensions appear? Sometimes the most interesting part of the process begins only after you stop touching the work.
See you tomorrow.
#WobblyWonkyAtHome #ArtistResidency #StudioDiary #PhyllidaBarlow #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY at home ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 3…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today felt like a clear step forward.
I spent more time looking at the work of Franz West before returning to one of my greatest inspirations, Phyllida Barlow. And something finally clicked.
Today I worked with materials of varying firmness and experimented with ways of connecting them. I tore paper, folded it, crumpled it, mixed wallpaper paste, built, constructed, wrapped, draped, sketched, cut, and glued.
This is exactly the kind of sculptural practice I’ve been searching for. Direct. Physical. Almost painterly. Working with materials in the moment. Building, layering, reacting, discovering. Holding on to that childlike freedom—without overthinking the outcome, just staying present and moving with the process.
Today, I reached that state.
I feel grounded—and energized.
I promised to take you with me through every experiment. Some ideas will work, others won’t—and that’s part of it. This residency is about exploration, not certainty.
So stay with me. Let’s see where Day 4 takes us.
#WobblyWonkyAtHomeArtResidency #LeavingTheCanvas #ArtistResidency #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt
WOBBLY WONKY at home ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
Day 3…
this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresidency
Today felt like a clear step forward.
I spent more time looking at the work of Franz West before returning to one of my greatest inspirations, Phyllida Barlow. And something finally clicked.
Today I worked with materials of varying firmness and experimented with ways of connecting them. I tore paper, folded it, crumpled it, mixed wallpaper paste, built, constructed, wrapped, draped, sketched, cut, and glued.
This is exactly the kind of sculptural practice I’ve been searching for. Direct. Physical. Almost painterly. Working with materials in the moment. Building, layering, reacting, discovering. Holding on to that childlike freedom—without overthinking the outcome, just staying present and moving with the process.
Today, I reached that state.
I feel grounded—and energized.
I promised to take you with me through every experiment. Some ideas will work, others won’t—and that’s part of it. This residency is about exploration, not certainty.
So stay with me. Let’s see where Day 4 takes us.
#WobblyWonkyAtHomeArtResidency #LeavingTheCanvas #ArtistResidency #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt