Cosima Crecelius is a student in the accadis ISB IB Diploma Program. At the Visual Arts Exhibition in mid-March, parents, teachers and students marveled at her artwork which she created for the IB subject "Visual Arts". In the exhibition she presented so-called snapshots - precious moments that last only a few milliseconds and make life a unique experience. We talked to Cosima about the exhibition and about her artwork.
The topic of your exhibition is called 'Snapshots'. How did you come up with this title and what does it mean?
I had some artwork ideas in my head from the very beginning. When I started with the preparation for the exhibition, I first thought of the theme ‘Sound’. But as I was lacking other ideas besides the implemented idea with the musical instruments, I thought of the topic 'Snapshots' from an earlier homework assignment. I also wrote about minimalist photography for Art class. I associate 'Snapshots' with short, fleeting moments that only last for a few milliseconds, but still make life unique. I was immediately able to generate many more ideas on this topic. In the end, the individual artworks represent different interpretations of the theme.
What inspired you to create the artworks? Did you have role models?
I definitely had role models. But I was also inspired by many everyday events and items. For example, the idea for Adagio came about during a visit to the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. A workshop on portraits inspired me for Perfectly Imperfect and for Ephemerality I was inspired by a work of art that caught my eye during a visit to the Bauhaus Museum in Weimar.
How much time did you on average need for the individual pieces of art?
Since I am a perfectionist, the pieces of art sometimes took a lot of time to complete. Especially in the period just before the exhibition, I worked several hours every day to make sure everything was right, down to the last detail. Of course, the amount of work varied from artwork to artwork. For example, I worked on Perfectly Imperfect exclusively during Art class, hence progress was stretched out over a longer period of time. I think I spent the greatest amount of time on Ephemerality.
Where did you create the artworks - at school or at home?
Mostly at home. There I could concentrate well and I had enough space. The two installations Ephemerality and Adagio in particular took up a lot of space, and I could not simply put the pieces of art away each time. The only artwork I worked on mainly at school was Perfectly Imperfect, as I kept asking for advice from my Art teacher Mrs. Arnold on this.
What would you like the viewer of your works to take away with them?
With my exhibition I would like to make clear to the viewers that every single moment in life is important and valuable. Even if some moments may seem insignificant to us - these little snapshots of our lives make us unique.
What did you like most about Visual Arts? Would you recommend the subject to others?
For me, the subject was always a nice balance to the other subjects. My creativity was challenged and encouraged to the maximum and, in contrast to the requirements for the German Abitur, I had a lot of freedom. For example, it was up to me which materials I wanted to work with. However, the subject also requires a certain amount of diligence and you have to be aware that some artworks take a lot of time. However, since I am a creative person by nature and I like to be engaged with the artistic process, it was not only hard work for me, but also fun. Another plus point is, of course, that I didn't have to write an exam ;)
Thank you very much for this interesting interview, dear Cosima.