In a present where the body has become the site of social values, norms, and conflicts, the works of artists Lu Cheng, Anna Grebner, and Samantha Waiden focus on the non-ideological and at times spiritually charged sensuality of bodily experience. At the core of their work lies the relationship between space and body as an existential form of self-location, the vulnerability of the body as part of complex ecosystems, and corporeality as an expression of the universal coexistence of all life forms.  

 

Lu Cheng: Body, Space, and Morphogenesis 

The question of corporeality, the relationship between body and space, becomes particularly tangible in the delicate sculptures and installations of the Chinese artist Lu Cheng. From hundreds of individual ceramic cone-shaped bodies emerges the organically shaped site-specific installation Expansion (2025), seemingly growing out of the architecture, sprouting from the corners and floor like an organism reclaiming a lost place. As fragile as the individual elements appear, the overall composition conveys a powerful impact: dynamically, the "organism" seems to push itself into the viewer's space, significantly influencing the spatial perception of both the exhibition space and the objects.  

 

Anyone wishing to examine the coral-like object Fluid (2025) up close must carefully consider every step, taking into account the space in front of and behind them, or risk damaging it. The vitality of bodies and how they change in relation to their immediate environment is a central aspect of Cheng’s artistic practice. Her biomorphic installations and sculptures explore the dynamics and growth processes of bodies. However, they do not aim for a mimetic reproduction of organic forms but rather create nature-like objects emerging from an intense creative process. These physical entities bear the essence of corporeality and challenge our coexistence with what we call "natural nature."  

 

Anna Grebner: Sensuality of the Body Between Economy and Ecology  

Anna Grebner, in turn, creates a tension in her central work series 100times you & I running down the sink (2023/24) between the bodily experienced sensuality of color materiality and the cold rationalism of a capitalism-driven society. As the title suggests, the series consists of 100 monotypic woodcuts on Japanese newspaper, produced during her research stay at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. Inspired by Japanese art, particularly the Ukiyo-e (Pictures of the Floating World) tradition, she reflects the aesthetics of this historical genre, which flourished from the 17th to the 19th century and was characterized by color woodcuts (nishiki-e), clear lines, and compositional openness. Ukiyo-e primarily depicted the multifaceted urban life and the transience of existence.  

 

Grebner critically engages with this tradition by attempting to break through the entrenched visual habits of urban society to develop a new relationship with nature. In 100times you & I running down the sink, she merges the natural imagery of woodcuts and wood grain with a socio-critical approach by printing the woodcuts onto pages from the stock market section of Japanese newspapers. The use of indigo, obtained through a sustainable production process, reflects her appreciation for natural, traditional techniques and makes color the symbolic anchor of her work. She thus draws attention to contemporary ecological issues, questions the capitalist, consumer-oriented social order, and—akin to a vanitas symbol—highlights its inherent self-destructive aspects.  

 

Samantha Waiden: Corporeality as Trace and Gesture  

Samantha Waiden presents corporeality on two levels in her abstract works: first, through the physical material and its sensuous concreteness, and second, through the artist’s bodily experience, which becomes an integral part of the artwork itself.  

 

In her 92-part conceptual work Untitled (30.10.22–29.01.23) (2022), developed for an exhibition project at the Museum Kurhaus Kleve, Waiden explores the phenomena of time, space, and corporeality. The work is based on a matrix she created using the categories day, month, and year, which is transferred onto 92 sheets via screen-printing. She then draws a line by hand, connecting the exhibition's starting date with another date within its duration. This process is repeated on all 92 sheets. On each sheet, a violin key-like loop emerges—sometimes changing over time, sometimes remaining redundant.  

 

The line functions here not only as an aesthetic element but also as a dynamic bodily gesture. It refers to something beyond its formal quality: the physical experience of the artist in the act of drawing. Waiden’s practice is fundamentally concerned with the interplay between drawing and body, material and process, image and object, all of which dissolve into the viewing process itself.  

 

Lu Cheng (*1996, Shanghai, China) studied Fine Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich starting in 2017, initially in the class of Prof. Dieter Rehm and from 2018 with Prof. Peter Kogler. Previously, from 2014 to 2016, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design at the China Academy of Art in Shanghai. She received her diploma this spring at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich.  

 

Anna Grebner (*1990, Sinalunga, Italy) studied at the Academy of Fashion and Design in Munich from 2009 to 2013. After working as a designer for Y-3 adidas x Yohji Yamamoto (2014–2018), she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich in 2019, where she initially studied in the class of Prof. Karin Kneffel. In 2023, she continued her studies at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, specializing in Japanese painting, and graduated in 2025 in the class of Thomas Eggerer.  

 

Samantha Waiden (*2001, Lindau) completed her Abitur in 2020 and began studying Fine Arts with Prof. Pia Fries in the same year. Since 2023, she has been continuing her studies in the class of Prof. Florian Pumhösl.