“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
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
#this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
Day 2 – Leaving the Canvas
Today I finally settled into the space. I set up my worktable, painted the wall white, and truly began.
It felt surprisingly strange not to hold a paintbrush. Every canvas has disappeared from the studio. It feels weird… and at the same time incredibly liberating.
As I started exploring the first materials, my thoughts suddenly drifted to Franz West, whose work has fascinated me for years. For a moment I caught myself wondering if I might end up building something that carries a little of his spirit over the next few days.
What I’ve realized today is that I’ve been longing for sculptural work.
But don’t hold me to that.
I promised to take you with me through every experiment, every wrong turn, every unexpected discovery. If it all fails, that’s part of the process too.
So let’s wait for Day 3 together. I honestly have no idea where this journey will lead—and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting.
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresid
ency #wonky #art #contemporarysculptor
WOBBLY WONKY at home
ART RESIDENCY
14 days… work! work! work.
#this is me:
Manuela Karin Knaut
Day 2 – Leaving the Canvas
Today I finally settled into the space. I set up my worktable, painted the wall white, and truly began.
It felt surprisingly strange not to hold a paintbrush. Every canvas has disappeared from the studio. It feels weird… and at the same time incredibly liberating.
As I started exploring the first materials, my thoughts suddenly drifted to Franz West, whose work has fascinated me for years. For a moment I caught myself wondering if I might end up building something that carries a little of his spirit over the next few days.
What I’ve realized today is that I’ve been longing for sculptural work.
But don’t hold me to that.
I promised to take you with me through every experiment, every wrong turn, every unexpected discovery. If it all fails, that’s part of the process too.
So let’s wait for Day 3 together. I honestly have no idea where this journey will lead—and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting.
@knaut_contemporary @wobblywonkyathomeartresid
ency #wonky #art #contemporarysculptor
**Day 1 — **Leaving the Canvas⤵️
Today marks the beginning of ▪️Leaving the Canvas▪️, my two-week self-directed artist residency.
Before anything else, I’d like to thank Alfredo @alfredocristianoartist for our inspiring conversation and for trusting this open-ended project. That uncertainty is exactly what makes it exciting.
For the next fourteen days, my studio will become a laboratory.
Today is not about making art, but about preparing the conditions for it. Large canvases are moved aside, shelves are cleared, and materials usually in the background are brought to the centre: wood, concrete, wire, cardboard, paper, concrete, fragments and discarded objects.
Over the coming days, I will explore what happens when painting leaves the canvas. I’ll build, stack, cut, connect, balance and dismantle. Some ideas will become temporary objects, others may evolve into sculptural works. Many experiments will fail or be abandoned quickly.
The process itself becomes the work.
Every step—successful or not—will be documented through photographs, sketches and daily reflections. Rather than searching for finished artworks, I want to follow rhythm, intuition and material until they suggest their own possibilities.
I don’t know what will emerge over the next fourteen days—and that’s exactly why I’d love you to follow the journey. Pls follow! 🩷
#LeavingTheCanvas #ArtistResidency #MaterialResearch #StudioLaboratory #contemporaryart
**Day 1 — **Leaving the Canvas⤵️
Today marks the beginning of ▪️Leaving the Canvas▪️, my two-week self-directed artist residency.
Before anything else, I’d like to thank Alfredo @alfredocristianoartist for our inspiring conversation and for trusting this open-ended project. That uncertainty is exactly what makes it exciting.
For the next fourteen days, my studio will become a laboratory.
Today is not about making art, but about preparing the conditions for it. Large canvases are moved aside, shelves are cleared, and materials usually in the background are brought to the centre: wood, concrete, wire, cardboard, paper, concrete, fragments and discarded objects.
Over the coming days, I will explore what happens when painting leaves the canvas. I’ll build, stack, cut, connect, balance and dismantle. Some ideas will become temporary objects, others may evolve into sculptural works. Many experiments will fail or be abandoned quickly.
The process itself becomes the work.
Every step—successful or not—will be documented through photographs, sketches and daily reflections. Rather than searching for finished artworks, I want to follow rhythm, intuition and material until they suggest their own possibilities.
I don’t know what will emerge over the next fourteen days—and that’s exactly why I’d love you to follow the journey. Pls follow! 🩷
#LeavingTheCanvas #ArtistResidency #MaterialResearch #StudioLaboratory #contemporaryart