menu
ArchiveExhibition

Mona Ardeleanu: THE PADDING

25 Nov 2021-22 Jan 2022
PV 25 Nov 2021, 6-8pm

König London
London NW1 5RA

Overview

KÖNIG LONDON is pleased to present Mona Ardeleanu’s first exhibition in the United Kingdom, THE PADDING. Her strong yet sensitive paintings take inspiration from her surroundings and are guided by intuition. It has been said that Ardeleanu ‘moves through the world when she paints’. For this exhibition, Ardeleanu has created a new body of work that derives imagery from various forms of padding, armour, casts and crutches that are used to protect, support and heal the human body. 

As Larissa Kikol has said of her work, “... Ardeleanu’s truth is, therefore, not found in archives, but on the canvas. It does not need an explanatory guide in front of the painting; it only requires the individual, personal perception of forms, colours, and folds, which can be willingly personified or applied to one’s own body. It could also be fish embryos, wrapped organs like human hearts, cages of clothes, or science fiction of historical fashion. The monochrome back- grounds hold back, sometimes giving off a little light, but have the effect of being matter- of-fact and museological.” 

Building images in layers, Ardeleanu’s takes a sculptural approach to painting, using the visual vocabulary of the every day to produce hyper-real objects with a mysterious, intangible quality. Her detailed renderings seem to be collaged bits of historical vessels and utensils, presented on a stark background like an archeological specimen never seen before. 

The paintings in THE PADDING are steeped with a feeling of safety and protection. The three large canvases, Drall 2021/I-III reference various shaped car airbags: the driver’s, the passenger’s and the folded bag hidden within the steering wheel. Ardeleanu consider the largest work, Belly 2021/I, a ghostly protector of the other paintings - a spiri- tual guardian made of intricately embroidered car seat belts. Upon close examination a face, ears and a belly emerge through the woven belts, interlaced to create a bodily form. 

The works in THE PADDING were inspired by a severe snowboarding accident Ardeleanu had in her teens. They hold references to personal experiences and shared histories: the primal needs of safety and protection and the existential awareness we carry of the fragility of our human bodies. 

Born in Lörrach, Germany, Mona Ardeleanu lives and works in Stuttgart, with her significant solo exhibitions including: Kunsthalle Nürnberg, Vitamin Kunstprojekte Reutlingen, Kunstverein Biberach, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart and Kunstv- erein Brackenheim. 

Nearby

Accordion Fields
Lisson Gallery, 67 Lisson St
until 4 May
Accordion Fields
Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell St
until 4 May
Episode I: Bump​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍​‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​
Matt Carey-Williams​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍​‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌
until 23 Mar
Jonathan Callan
Patrick Heide Contemporary Art
until 23 Mar
The Showroom Mural Commission | Kay Abude, Be Creative Remain Resilient
The Showroom
until 28 Jul
Field Of Difference
Palmer Gallery
until 7 Apr
Turner and Bonington: Watercolours from the Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection
until 21 Apr
Francis Picabia – Women: Works on Paper 1902-1950
Michael Werner Gallery
until 3 May
The Leisure Centre
The Brown Collection
until 3 Aug
Nick Waplington: Living Room
Hamiltons Gallery
until 25 May
Spark of Fire
JD Malat Gallery
until 6 Apr
François Morellet
Annely Juda Fine Art
until 14 May
DUANE HANSON | DAMIEN HIRST
Gagosian, Davies St.
until 3 Apr
Gavin Turk: The Conspiracy of Blindness
Ben Brown Fine Arts
until 10 May
Cristina de Miguel: Dissolving
Almine Rech
until 6 Apr
SHINE ON
Sadie Coles HQ, Davies Street
until 27 Apr
Refik Anadol: Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive
Serpentine
until 7 Apr
Liliana Moro
Rodeo
until 17 Apr
This is Now
Unit London
until 21 Apr
The Highest Degree of Human Wisdom
Shtager&Shch
until 12 Apr