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Olga Jakob x The Cloud One Düsseldorf-KöBogen

Olga Jakob was born in Kiev in 1985. She studied textile design at the University of Cologne, fine art at the Berlin Weissensee School of Art and painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, where she completed her master's degree in 2015. She lives and works in Cologne and Düsseldorf. Olga's artistic work focuses particularly on textiles. No other material comes into contact with humans for such long periods of time every day. This immediacy of the material is the starting point for her artistic practice.

Her works hang in the lobby of our hotel, whose continuous glass façade creates a special lighting situation and space for shadow play.

 

10 questions for Olga

What is the name of your artwork and what is the meaning behind it? 
Two series of paintings are on display at Cloud One. The “Butterfly Series” refers to butterflies of the Machaon family, and the title “Erlkönig I-V” reflects the colour composition and rhythm of the painting for me.

Briefly describe your work and its central elements:
The pictures are characterised by their material. The textile is processed in such a way that it creates transparency and openness. As a result, light and shadow play a central role in these pictures, which is ideally reflected in the light-flooded Skybar at Cloud One.


What inspired you?
The atmosphere in the lobby changes with every season, even every hour of the day and night. Depending on the incidence of light, we are bathed in fresh morning light or atmospheric night-time darkness. My pictures should reflect this exciting change. It is particularly evident in the play of shadows on the wall.


What materials and techniques do you use?
The materials used are based on the concept of sustainability and consist of recycled textiles and paper. I reinterpreted the material and placed it in a new painterly context by interweaving the two materials.


What was challenging with this work? 
The special architecture of Cloud One presented a challenge. The curved walls give the Skybar a dynamic feel and create a pull effect into the room. My pictures were intended to capture and support this energy. By hanging the works in a special way, I played around with and accentuated the architecture. In this way, the pictures are closely interwoven with the architecture and the surroundings.

The art in the hotel

How did the collaboration at The Cloud One Düsseldorf-KöBogen come about?
They were looking for an artistic approach that would complement the striking spatial concept and be particularly effective in the sequence of rooms and with the curvature of the wall. As my artistic work deals with questions of space and I work with installations, one thing led to another and I accepted the challenge.

To what extent does your work reflect the atmosphere of the hotel?
The installation of the pictures, the choice of materials, the colour concept and the composition are closely linked to the architecture of The Cloud One Düsseldorf. The glass façade provides spectacular light, which has an essential influence on the art and triggers the play of shadows on the specific curvature of the architecture. Thus, the pictures are woven into the atmosphere of the place and constantly change with it.

What goes on in your head when you create?
That remains a secret.

What does Düsseldorf mean to you?
What I appreciate most about Düsseldorf is its museum and gallery scene. I have seen numerous exhibitions, some of which have moved and influenced me since my youth.

Do you have a favourite place in the city?
The K21, the Kunstsammlung NRW and the Kaiserteich, which is right next door. 

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