“Raus in die Welt!” That’s what they said. Today we are standing in front of Magma Maria. It is a unique art space in Frankfurt. Magma Maria is not just a gallery. It is a collective. It represents self-empowerment for young artists.
Magma Maria is an artist collective. The number of participants varies. They occupy spaces temporarily in Offenbach and Frankfurt. The Frankfurter Kunstverein invited them once. They presented the sales exhibition Frankfurter Kunst Vertrieb. This happened parallel to the exhibition “And This is Us 2021 – Young Art from Frankfurt.”
The Kunstverein exhibited artworks along the ground floor window facade of the Steinernes Haus. This happened over the summer in several cycles. Over 170 works were received through an open call. They were made visible to a wide audience without curation. People could purchase the works on site during opening hours. They could also use the specially created eBay project website. 100% of the proceeds went to the artists.
The action was non-profit. It was based on a gesture of solidarity. It responded to the pandemic. The pandemic reduced opportunities for young artists to present themselves. Jakob Francisco, Malte Möller, and Lena Stewens organized it voluntarily. They were part of the Magma Maria collective. Students and young artists could participate. They had to be born after 1990. They also had to work in Frankfurt, Offenbach, or the Rhine-Main area. The selection was limited to two-dimensional works for organizational reasons. This included painting, drawing, graphics, or photography. Each participant could submit one work.
Magma Maria professionally implemented all aspects of the art system. This included gathering works and communicating with participants. It also covered presentation in space and the digital sphere. Inventory and sales were included too. They used the possibilities of the Frankfurter Kunstverein. They involved over 170 other artists in the exhibition. This was done under their own set of rules.
Magma Maria enriched the institutional exhibition. It added an essential position. It made a more comprehensive picture of young art production visible. This covered the Rhine-Main area. As young artists, they are part of a network. These artists are at the beginning of their careers. Institutional visibility is a compelling moment for their work. Magma Maria and its protagonists stand for self-empowerment. They create public visibility. This is essential for artists. They create economic structures beyond established art sales channels.
Mike Bouchet discovered the space. He is a professor of sculpture at the HfG in Offenbach. He conveyed to 20 students the idea of artistically realizing themselves in it. The students quickly came together. They sharpened their vision. From then on, the matrix from Offenbach was “Out into the world”.
The programming of Magma Maria is not linear. The collective follows an ephemeral logic. It reforms with each exhibition and meeting. It is the strength of the off-space. It brings together so many young international positions.
The space itself prompts Magma Maria to think spontaneously and agilely. This applies to the collective and the exhibition space. The off-space is located in the four-year-old harbor district. It has become firmly established. It acts as an extended arm to Frankfurt. It has a direct Main connection to the ECB. Besides Magma Maria, there is a Rewe, DM, kiosk and an ice cream parlor. Above them are apartments. It is the only space in the new building complex that has not yet been rented.
This is both luck and crux. It is luck because the space has been used so inexpensively. The crux is that the space can be rented out at any time. Nothing is certain, not even the next exhibition.
So, as you explore Frankfurt’s art scene, remember Magma Maria. It is more than just a gallery. It’s a testament to the power of young artists. They are creating their own opportunities and shaping the future of art.