INTERVIEW Feyrouz Nouri
PUBLISHED 01. FEB 2025
LICHTROUTEN in Lüdenscheid brings together artists and the local community to explore light and media art in public spaces. This year, Karoline Ketelhake is presenting a work that examines aging, gender, and perception through projection mapping and sculptural objects.
In this interview, Karoline shares her experience with the festival, the process behind their work, and their thoughts on creating art in public spaces:
// What is interesting about joining a light and media art project in Ludenscheid?
I’ve heard that the festival has a huge community in Lüdenscheid, and I’m really curious to meet them all in person.
// Why did you agree to join this year’s LICHTROUTEN edition?
For me, gaining insight into the curation process of a media art festival was very interesting, especially while simultaneously being an artist at the festival. I’m also really curious about the Forum as a venue. Bringing art into abandoned places to revive them has always fascinated me.
// Can you walk us through your creative process for this piece, from initial ideas to the concept to the final execution?
I discovered recipes for various aspic dishes in an old German cookbook and found their appearance fascinating. I took a closer look at the ingredients, especially gelatin and its general use. Exploring its connection to anti-aging, I started experimenting visually with mapping and Barbie parts.
// How does this work relate to or depart from your broader artistic practice?
I tend to develop my work through various visual experiments, and the Aspic Objects were one of the outcomes.
// How do you approach creating art for public spaces? What unique challenges and opportunities does this present?
For me, one of the biggest advantages of public art is that it’s very accessible — people can simply walk in and take a look around, especially those who aren’t typically interested in art. It’s an opportunity to catch their attention on topics like in In Aspic, where those perceived as female are still not allowed to age.
// What technologies are you employing in this work? How do they contribute to your artistic vision?
For this work, I’m using the mapping software ‘MadMapper’ to project connective tissue structures onto the Aspic objects. The objects appear to glow on their own due to the controlled projection.
// Looking ahead, how do you see light and media art evolving in response to our changing world? What future directions excite you in this field?
How do you hope viewers will interact with or experience your work? What do you want them to take away from it?
The installation invites visitors to question their standards of those perceived as female and take a critical look at the ideal of eternal youth in general.