Paula Anke and her shadow amazons

It is a freezing cold day when we visit Paula Anke in her studio at Camaro Haus on Potsdamer Straße. (Why does the house bear this name? It is named after the artist couple Alexander and Renata Camaro, whose foundation has been located here since 2010. Since the house was built in 1893, there have always been references to art and culture - for example, it was originally built for the artistic education of women. How fitting, then, that today it is close to many art and cultural venues such as the Philharmonie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Kulturforum, Staatsbibliothek). Although the street is very busy, you hardly notice the hustle and bustle in the hidden backyard with its small park and fountain. In the courtyard we discover a large painting directly on the wall of the building. We see three leafless trees, a one-eyed couple in old-fashioned festive clothes, a woman with a zebra and several archways (through which one cannot walk, of course). I wonder if the painting is by Paula?

To find out and escape the cold, we quickly go into the entrance area. (However, we briefly open our breakfast boxes again to go fortified into the meeting with the artist). At the entrance there is a showcase with different painting utensils and right next to it a secret passage, which we explore immediately. We really like it and find it a bit difficult to move on.

We then enter a bright staircase, which is covered with a blue carpet. Here Paula welcomes us with a smile and takes us to the exhibition room, where we can see her artworks as well as works by other artists. The room is sunlit and very warm. We sit comfortably in a circle and are served apple juice while Paula tells us a little about herself so that we can get to know her:

The artist was born in Berlin, where she has lived half of her life (about 30 years, albeit intermittently). The other half she spent in France, where her husband comes from. Today she lives alternately in Berlin and the French mountains – we imagine that’s very nice. Paula tells us that she has been making art since she was 10 years old. So about the same age as we are now! Back then she started with painting, then studied stage design, among other things, and today she works with different materials and media – printmaking, installation, video, wall painting and assemblage (which are collages of three-dimensional objects instead of just paper).

We remember the painted wall of the house and ask if the painting is by Paula. Yes, she says, she painted it on the wall during the pandemic. But before that, she made some sketches, that is, drafts, which she now shows us. Although the zebra on the paper is not finished and only a first attempt, we already like it very much. Next, Paula shows us her workplace, where there are also some assemblages and dolls made from old clothes. Paula affectionately calls the dolls her shadow amazons. (In French, the work is called “Amazones de l'Ombre” and she has been working with and on them again and again since 2016). Amazons are fighting women in ancient myths and legends. Paula has thought a lot about the fact that of course there are women who are soldiers, but many women fight in other ways than violence. If they all joined together, they would be a very strong unit, an army. That is why Paula always shows the small army together: in an installation in a dark room, illuminated as protagonists, as if they were on a tiny floating theatre stage. We notice that the lovingly designed female figures are equipped with all kinds of details and each of them is unique: they wear cloaks and capes made of fur, feathers or lace, elaborate headdresses and jewellery. One figure has roots instead of arms and legs. Paula explains that she found the dolls at flea markets and that the roots come from rosemary bonsais in Provence. There, the wind sweeps over the slopes and it is insanely hot. After a few years, the bushes die and you can carefully dig up the roots. Recently, however, there was such a fire in the region that it will probably take another 30 years to collect the roots of the small rosemary bushes.

We are very impressed by the preciousness of the dolls and roots; they carry so many stories that one can only guess at. That is why we are now all making up our own stories about the shadow amazons. We particularly like Yosra’s story, reminding us that the days of winter are numbered (and the spring fairy will soon be freed).

To celebrate, despite the cold outside, we all have ice cream – and a big thank you to Paula for showing us her work and the shadow amazones!

YOSRA’S STORY

Once upon a time there was a spring fairy. She was very beautiful and pretty. She had a crown of flowers and all the animals liked her. Wherever she walked, everything turned green. She had accidentally stepped into a world of snow. Then the witch came. She had no feet and no hands, but she had roots. And wherever she went, everything turned to snow. And she hated the spring fairy. The spring fairy was very nice to her, but she hated her. She asked her, "What are you doing here?” Then the Spring Fairy said, “I came in here by mistake." So the witch simply locked her into the snow world by closing her magic doors, through which she had previously been able to move between the winter and spring worlds. But the spring fairy had no key and was locked in. She would freeze to death and lose her magical powers. She said, "Give me the key!" "Only if you solve the riddle. What's my name?” “Winter witch”, said the spring fairy. “No! You have five days to solve the riddle.” Then she disappeared.

The next day the winter fairy came back. “What’s wrong?” “I know your name. Snow Lady!” “No!” “Snowflake” “No! You still get to guess tomorrow, then you're locked up forever.” “Okay.” The next day the winter fairy came back and the spring fairy said, "I have a husband and I'm pregnant.” “Let me out!” “I don't care!” said the winter fairy. “If you can't do it, you have to give me your child. You have no choice.” The Spring Fairy took the last of her strength and conjured up a little elf. She said to the elf, "Find out the name of the winter fairy.” Then the little elf went to the Winter Fairy and heard her say, "No one knows my name. My name is...Snowball.” The little elf had heard and went to the spring fairy and told her, “The winter fairy's name is Snowball.” “Okay, that was easy!”

On the last day, the winter witch found out that the spring fairy knew the name and flew to her. She said, “What's my name? No one knows!” Now the Spring Fairy said, "Your name is Snowball.” “Ne...WHAT?” said the Winter Fairy, turning pale with shock. Then she said, “How do you know my name?” “I was up all night thinking.” The winter fairy began to melt. “No one has guessed my name yet, you cursed spring fairy.” And she melted further and the keys fell to the floor. The winter fairy opened the door and left the winter world. Now she could go home, back to her husband, where she had her baby.