Jakob Roepke

Bio

Since 1994 lives and works in Berlin, Germany

When looking at Jakob Roepkes abstract reliefs I can let my eyes wander here and there over the coherent geometric shapes, exploring paths up and down something that could be a geological structure, meandering through something that could be a hilly landscape, overlapping rooftops or some sort of crystalized physiognomy. Apart from all these random associations, still I a m not confined by any narrowing attributions but can still just appreciate these wall objects like an intricate image. Curiously the artist, in his creative process, has confined himself by using only a limited set of shapes, mainly triangles and squares, but thus creating a great variation of shapes and shades. The shades of grey display a two-dimensional mosaic-like image which is produced via a three-dimensional construction. Depending on angle and intensity of light, this picture is ever changing, a bright lit shape can turn into dark grey
when placed in the shadow by a changing illumination, offering us a variety of aesthetic experiences by using minimalist means.

Merle Eisenberg, 2018

In each work Roepke continually reinvents scenes for his tiny protagonists, the figures of which are drawn from 19th century Jiu Jitsu and 1970s yoga handbooks. Isolated in seemingly lonely domestic spaces, he throws them into ever changing and unexpected situations as if each work were a piece of iconographic research. The quotidian is turned on its head as the figures ward off monstrous animals, wild geometric figures and strange alien forms. Drawing upon art history, popular culture and the surrealist tradition, each piece is left open to a wealth of contextual interpretations. Roepke can be likened to a pseudo-medieval painter of miniatures depicting grand and horrific ideas on a miniature scale. Following the surrealist tradition of Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico his tiny collages seem to reference the uncertainty and adversity of 21th century life; yet while the scenes hover between hopelessness and destruction, Roepke’s central figures always seem on the verge of tipping the fight in their favour.

Fred Mann, London 2008

Video – Jakob Roepke Interiority by ikono.tv »
Video – Jakob Roepke »

Education

1981-88 Offenbach University of Art and Design, Germany
1986-87 Edinburgh College of Art (painting and sculpting)

Selected Solo Exhibition

2022 Intermezzo 3, Galerie Monica Ruppert, Frankfurt a.M.
2022 Wo wir hin wollen, galerie subjectobject, Berlin with Silke Bartsch
2020 Every Day is a Good Day,Kunstverein Neukölln (with Ellinor Euler), Bildtafeln 17 qm, (Marburg),
2019 Werbung für das Unerklärliche, Kunstsäule Frankfurt, rooms above , Zionskirche Berlin-Mitte (with Annalehmann-Brauns)
2019 Empathetic Dream Construction, XVA Gallery, Dubai with Al Braithwaite, Halona Hilbertz
2019 Foto und Skulptur, Kunstverein Klein Machnow mit Anna Lehmann-Brauns
2018 Szenenbild Galerie subject object with Jelena Fuzinato
2017 Ulterior Motives Kunstprojekte Mannheim with Catherine Bourdon und Fabian Weincke
2017 Höing und Roepke, Galerie Wildes Weiss, Bremen
2017 Mit und ohne Tiere Galerie Goethel, Hamburg
2016
Spur und Gefüge with C.Barthoi und S.Bartsch bei Galerie Goethel (Hamburg/Berlin)
Berlinkolorit with Th.Brüggemann/C.Bourdon/S.Bartsch (Gerichtshöfe Berlin)
Gegenüberstellung: Herr Roepke und Frau Schirdewahn, Raum f. drast. Massnahmen, Berlin
Presence with S.Ochsenreither, C.Bourdon, S. Bartsch, Gerichtshöfe Berlin
Gegenüberstellung: Herr Roepke und Frau Schirdewahn, Raum f. drast. Massnahmen, Berlin
2015 Force Majeure (bei Murati-Laebe), Berlin, (bei Bismarck), Hamburg
2014 Force Majeure! Gallery Daeppen, Basel
2013 Fred Gallery , London , Beautiful view, Galerie Maurer, Frankfurt ,
2011 Private View , Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin. Trespassers No Admittance , Beaver Projects, Copenhagen, DK
2010/11 Mythenraub and random find , Jarmuschek + Partner Berlin
2009 Model house and ink hudel , Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin. Enigmatic Chambers , BEAVER PROJECTS, Copenhagen. Braverman Gallery, Tel Aviv
2008 Fred Gallery , London. Kammerwunder and Jammerkunde , Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin
2007 Zimmerwolf and Budenkoller , Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin
2005 MAE Gallery Irene Eikmeier , Berlin
2004 Room Gallery CP Schneider , Frankfurt / Main. Office Mielke , Sunday, Bernzen. Heggemann, Hamburg
2003 Law firm Vogler , Roessink and Chalupnik, Backfabrik, Berlin. From people and animals, Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin
2002 Japanese Jiu Jitsu Jesus, Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin . Gallery Alte Mühle, Bad Vilbel
2000 Breitengraser , room for contemporary sculpture, Berlin
1998 Artists Unlimited , Bielefeld
1996 Castle Hohensolms
1995 Villa Flath , Bad Segeberg
1993 Collins Gallery , Glasgow University, Scottland
1992 Great Junction Studios , Leith, Scottland. The Kunstverein Mainz-Essenheim
1990 Galerie Behr and Trefz , Offenbach
1988 Galleria Isabella Conti , Bad Homburg

Select Group Exhibition

2021 Arbeiten von Jakob Roepke, idüll Frankfurt am Main
2021 Malerei und Skulptur, Galerie Nullpunkt, Berlin with Susanne Schirdewahn
2020 50/50, Atelier Grigori Dor, Berlin , RäumeBerlin, Wilhelmhallen, Berlin
2020 Nachtund Tag Gerichtshöfe Studios, Berlin
2019 Prunella Clough – Centenary, Engelbracht Collection, Daniel Marzona Galerie, Berlin
2019 Das kleine Format, Kunst PROJEKTE, Mannheim, golden shower, toolbox- Finnish artspace, Berlin
2019 Almost nothing Galerie Pugliese Levi, Berlin,
2019 format artspace Kopenhagen, Zweigstelle, Augsburg,
2018 Herbstsalon Kunstsalon Neubrandenburg
2018 enterart foundation Gerichtshöfe, Berlin
2018 interior Duplex, Berlin (kuratiert von Jakob Roepke)
2018 THE B(L)ANK STATEMENT ehem. Berliner Sparkasse, Berlin-Neukölln
2018 Lettre International 30, Jubiläumsausgabe u.a. mit Tobias Rehberger, Robert Longo, Ai Weiwei
2018 vom Stadel zum Wolkenkratzer (Architekturdarstellungen) Galerie Koch Hannover
2017
Mannsbilder, Kunsthalle Wittenberg
Polsterworld EnterArtFoundation, Berlin
2016
Kunstdetektor Charlottenburg. Berlin
Menagerie- Animals in the Zoo of Art, Toolbox Gallery, Berlin
EDEN Kunstverein Goldberg, with Heiko Dobbertin and Sylvia Dallmann
Hinter den Bergen das Meer, München Galerie Walderdorff
Brunner/Klotz/Orinska/Roepke, DeutscheWohnen, Berlin
4 Artists from Berlin, Merc-Studio, Miami
2015
Hinter den Bergen das Meer, Emmanuel Walderdorff Galerie, Limburg
DEUTSCH 1914-PAPUA NIUGINI 2014, Papua Neu Guinea und Berlin
2014 In Search of Lost Time, Amsterdam (Curated by Ronit Eden), Sheet Artist (LAGE EGAL, Berlin), Anonymous Drawers , Berlin, Artists, Draw me (I) , Semjon Contemporyry, Berlin, Curiouser & Curiouser , XVA-Gallery, Dubai
2013 Come Closer Feinberg Projects, Tel Aviv, Jubilee, LSD Gallery, Berlin MISSING ( about absence ), Courthouses, Berlin (curated by Jakob Roepke)
2011 Collections Bart Gallery , Nijmegen Netherlands , Remix , The International Collage Center, Samek Art Gallery, Lewisburg, USA. Existenzen , Gallery 4th floor, Berlin. 3 wishes free , Gallery Johannistrasse, Erfurt, Another Marriage? Between the Narrative and the Abstract. , Private view, – plattform for contemporary arts and art, Berlin.
2010 Galerie Walderdorff , Cologne
2009 NY-London collages , Fred, London. Trained Impulse , Braverman Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel. Summer exhibition , XVA Gallery, Dubai
2008 Sculpture Today Perspectives VI, Koch Gallery, Hannover
2005 Kunstansichten Offenbach , Offenbach. Pioneer buffet versus legwork (with Alexine Chanel), Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin
2005 Kunstansichten Offenbach , Offenbach. Pioneer Buffet versus Legwork , Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin with Alexine Chanel
1999 SSK , Berlin. “Abroad” Kunstraum , Frankfurt / Main / Gallery Sperl , Potsdam
1996 Artist’s home Luise , Berlin
1993 WASPS studios , Edinburgh, Scottland. Society of Scottish Artists , Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. Cyril Gerber Gallery , Glasgow, Scottland
1992 Great Junction Studios , Leith, Scottland. “Human Nature” , Colchester, England
1990 The Carmelite Monastery , Frankfurt / Main. “Arthouse 90” , Ingelheim
1989 Kunstverein Offenbach , Offenbach
1988 Art students exhibit , Kunstverein Bonn, Bonn
1986 Students’ Exhibition , Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scottland

Films

2013 “Strange Spaces” von Sabine Carbon, 12min https://vimeo.com/119777803
2013 “Interiority- Jakob Roepke after various artists”, ikono TV , 6 min. https://vimeo.com/81711126

Texts

2014/15 „Lettre International“ Magazin Berlin, 2014
2013 Merle Eisenberg: „Über die Bildtafelserie von Jakob Roepke“, unveröffentlicht, Berlin
2012 Silke Schnellhardt: „Psychologische und semantische Studien im Werk Jakob Roepkes“, unveröffentlicht,
2009 Saad Nikro: „Transformational Aesthetics in Jakob Roepke’s Compact Collages” in “Plurale, Zeitschrift für Denkversionen“, Berlin
2008 Jürgen Fitschen, Gerhard-Marks-Haus, Bremen : “Bildhauerei heute, in: Kat. zur Ausstellung, Galerie Koch, Hannover
2007 Matthias Weiß: “Bühne, Sprichwort, Bilderrätsel: Die Collagen Jakob Roepkes“, unveröffentlicht,
1997 Reinhard Jonas: „Dokument als Maske – Dr. Boeckelmanns Enthüllung“, Tagungskatalog des Burckardthauses, Ev. Weiterbildungsinstitut für Jugendkultur und Sozialarbeit

Teaching / Lehrtätigkeit

Royal Academy School, London
Bauhaus Universität, Weimar
Playing Arts Symposien, Gelnhausen und Burg Hohensolms
Kunstspeicher, Lübz
Akademie für Malerei, Berlin

Works In Collections

Sammlung des Deutschen Bundestages, Berlin

International Collage Center New York and Milton, PA

A.G. Rosen, New York, USA

Sir Duncan Mac Laren’s Collection of Symbolist and Surrealist Art, London, UK

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford Conneticut, USA

Saxo Collection, Kopenhagen DK, http://www.saxocollection.com/artists/reg/roepke.html

Rosenmuseum, Löve, DK, Sammlung Grub (Berlin und London) sowie weitere Privatsammlungen in Deutschland, GB, Israel, Vereinigte Emirate, Spanien, Dänemark, US, Schweden, Portugal, Italien, Schweiz, Frankreich, Österreich, Belgien, Niederlande, Südafrika

Galerienvertretungen: Jarmuschek+Partner (Berlin), New Art Projects, (London), Beaver Projects (Kopenhagen), XVA Gallery (Dubai), Feinberg Projects (Tel Aviv) Gastkünstler bei: Maurer (Frankfurt)

Messe-Teilnahmen: FNB Joburg Art Fair (Johannesburg), Art Amsterdam (Amsterdam), Volta6 (Basel), artbrussels (Brüssel), SWAB art fair (Barcelona) NEXT 08 (Chicago), YEAR_07/06 – Art Projects (London), Pulse Miami (Miami), Preview Berlin (Berlin), art cologne (Köln), Art Frankfurt (Frankfurt/ Main ), Fresh Paint 09 (Tel Aviv)

Grants / Prizes

2014 Lettre Internationa l; Guestartist
2008 SWAB Art Prize, Barcelona
2007 Prize Kunstforum Löwenhof, Frankfurt am Main
1997-98 Studiogrant Artists Unlimited
1995 Studiogrant Otto Flath Foundation
1986 Studio grant Frankfurter Sparkasse
1986-88 Grant Johann-Mosbach- Foundation
1985 Prize Main – Taunus art-collection
1984 Award Johann-Mosbach- Foundation