Illustrator, graphic artist and bottle fanatic Merel Wendt will be showing her latest work from 2 September in the Kunstuitleen of Kunstpunt Groningen. The bottle is central to the solo exhibition Pfand, not only as a physical object, but also through the story of the Berlin 'Pfandsammlers'. These are people who scour the German capital for abandoned bottles from which they can collect the deposit ('Pfand'). The bottles in question lead an inglorious existence, and that is unjustified, according to Wendt, who in this exhibition gives the bottles the stage that she believes they deserve.
Wendt was introduced to the phenomenon of Pfandsammlers when she did an internship in Berlin in 2020. Intrigued by this social system, she decided to spend a month in Berlin observing the bottle circulation and getting in touch with the Pfandsammler*innen. The bottles they collect are only intended to be returned at the end of the day for a deposit; they are never presented or considered as a collection – something Wendt is happy to change.
She has therefore started to use her role as illustrator and bottle fanatic to make this invisible collection of bottles visible. Her ultimate goal: to bring about a revaluation for the bottle, the bottle collection and the bottle collectors.
The role she fulfills as an illustrative bottle collector has led to an endless research into the bottle's form, resulting in a collection of drawings, lithographs, serigraphs and ceramic bottles. A selection of these is now presented in the exhibition Pfand.
About Merel Wendt
Merel Wendt (Zwolle, 1999) is an illustrator, graphic artist and bottle fanatic. She graduated from Academy Minerva in Groningen in 2021. Objects such as bottles, jerry cans, teeth and glasses are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for her and almost always function as characters in her work. As a maker, she tries to visualize her fascination for their form by bending and manipulating their properties, such as shape, color and size. In this way, she hopes to reacquaint the viewer with these well-known objects.
Ateliercollectie: Solo
Pfand is part of the Ateliercollectie: Solo series in which artists present their work directly from the studio in a solo exhibition at Kunstpunt Groningen. Ateliercollectie: Solo – Pfand can be seen from September 2 to October 15.