In our video portrait we talk with Rimma about her autobiographical influences, her love for architecture and her very first edition "Curtains and Wounds".
And of course we also asked her to answer some questions, inspired by the famous Proust questionnaire:
supersicko: Why do you do what you do?
Rimma: Since I was 6 years old I wanted to be an artist, even though I didn’t know what it meant exactly. I am doing art because it feels like I need to do it, I need to paint, and I need to create.
What role does the artist have in society?
In my opinion, the role of the Artist is to give a genuine reflection on the human condition. It is like asking constantly, how we conceive the world. How do we see more clearly the way we see?
Which artist - past or present - do you admire most?
There are a lot of artists I like and admire, like Louise Bourgeois, Cosima von Bonin, Frida Kahlo, Rachel Whiteread, Cindy Sherman, Meret Oppenheim, Sophie Tauber-Arp, Max Ernst, Henri Matisse, Tomas Schütte and there are so many more….
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I am not sure that there is something as perfect happiness. I can be very happy, just by working on a new painting or spending a sunny day on the beach or park with my family.
Which living or dead person would you like to spend a day with?
I would like to spend a day with my father, I saw him last time when I was 21, and I miss him very much.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find my inspiration from everyday life and experiences, from my past, from books and architecture, architectural ornaments, and nature.
What book means so much to you that we should definitely read it too?
There are a few books I can recommend to read: The Choice by Edith Eger, Azazeel by Youssef Ziedan, Golem, or the curse of Faust by Grigori Trestmann (Original name in Russian: Голем, или проклятие Фауста, Григорий Трестман).
What do you struggle most with in creating art?
The hardest thing for me is to keep it going, the ideas, the creativity, the motivation.
What themes or symbols are the most important to you as an artist?
For already a long time, I work with themes such as death and life, pain, beauty, and brutalism.
What do you love most about your art?
I like that my art touches people. Brings emotions out, and makes the viewer think and feel.
What is your greatest artistic achievement so far?
Recently I closed my solo exhibition at the Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen. I think this is the most important achievement for me in the last few years.
Do you have any unfinished or unrealized projects?
Yes, I have a few. My last video animation work is unfinished, and a few projects as sound installation and sculptures, waiting to be realized.
Foto/Video: Ivana Kleinertz