who we are
Maya
medical anthropologist, artist and art facilitator
What is important to me
We at studio sternstunden celebrate a diverse, colorful and creative world. However, our visible everyday life in this world is only the tip of the iceberg and we need spaces to explore the rest of the ice. And since we all know that art can do more than just hang on the wall and be looked at reverently, I specialize in process-oriented and participatory activities. From a 'finite, portable and commercializable product', art becomes an 'ongoing or long-term project with an unclear beginning and end' (1). I would like to see more of this art in all of our lives, more exchange between artists and participants, more reflection and communication - with ourselves and with others - more contextualization, more experimental spaces in which uncertainty does not cause fear, more openness and more windows and doors to the world. I wish everyone a substantive and practical access to art and creativity and with the studio sternstunden I want to provide everyone who is interested with tools for their own journey. Whether for understanding, holding, remembering, connecting, letting go or naming(2), whether privately or publicly, I would like to see greater enthusiasm, broader interest and more participatory opportunities for art and creativity in our society.
(1) Bishop, Claire: Artificial Hells: participatory art and the politics of spectatorship, Volume 1. London 2012. P. 2
(2) Riccardakiel.de
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Malort Sternstunden and how it started
In July 2013 I completed the training for the serving role in the painting game with Arno Stern in Paris. The time in Arno Stern's Malort and the encounter with Arno Stern himself was a very special time for me. Arno Sterns' attitude towards childhood and life spoke to my soul, especially as a mother. The conviction that there must be more places of this kind, more manifestations of a tolerant and appreciative attitude to life, more opportunities to pause, reflect and digest was simply a consequence.
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In the spring of 2014 I was able to open the painting venue Sternstunden in a beautiful, bright corner shop in Frankfurt. Over the past years, my studio has become a wonderful place of peace and relaxation, clarity and creativity. Here, participants are inspired by the atmosphere of the rooms, supported by the painting game, guided by mindful course instructors and motivated by diverse groups.
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Since 2014, in addition to my own courses, I have been working with children and young people from schools, vocational schools, kindergartens, daycare centers and afternoon care. I provide further training for educators and I help to set up painting spaces in schools and kindergartens. Since 2018, I have been working as an art facilitator in the You&Eye project of the Frankfurt Cultural Department/Culture Office.
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The development of the Studio Sternstunden
With my background as a social and medical anthropologist and guided by an urgent inner desire to capture and convey creativity, the studio sternstunden has grown into a very exciting and special place over the past 10 years. What once began as a Malort Sternstunden is now a center for process-oriented art and creativity.
The studio now offers a home for the painting place, the drawing workshop, collage & experiments, the Creative Day events, Unplug & Create, as well as individual trainings and workshop packages. My goal is to continuously create new, inspiring and accessible offerings that give everyone access to creativity, enrich their souls and make a positive contribution to society.
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As the visionary of Studio Sternstunden, I am also constantly looking for artists who are enthusiastic about not only presenting their art, but also actively engaging in dialogue with their audience. This collaboration goes far beyond traditional art forms and invites artists to break down the barriers between the art world and everyday life. It is an opportunity to communicate art and spark creativity - not just as an aesthetic experience, but also as a powerful tool for change.
At the same time, I encourage companies to incorporate art at all levels of an organization. In this way, companies can not only foster innovative thinking and a culture of creativity within their workforce, but also fulfill their social responsibility and make another meaningful contribution to society through art and the support of art.
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My message to you!
I am particularly happy when adults - and adult groups - find their way to me and dare to take the leap into creativity. This is not always an easy leap, because our society's view of art and creativity often burdens us with false ideas about our own abilities. I will explain and show you what I mean by this in my workshops!
For me, creativity is something that we all carry within us. It is like sport - something that we can and should all do in our own way. Creativity helps us to let go of emotional baggage, clears our heads and lightens our hearts. It enables us to contextualize our lives and see new paths ahead of us. With my work and together with the Studio Sternstunden family, I want to make art and creativity tangible and accessible for everyone.
Owi
multimedia artist and lecturer
Owi is an important part of the Sternstunden family. He has known Maya since kindergarten and has been doing workshops at Sternstunden since the beginnings of the studio (2014). His two robot workshops (brush robots and talking robots) combine technology with creativity, they are unique (although they have now been copied by others and - in other cities - offered as courses) and EXTREMELY popular with children and parents. The robot workshops are offered two to three times a year at Sternstunden.
Lots of people ask us why Owi isn't with us much more often. This is because Owi also has his own great family with three children, works as a multimedia artist, develops computer games, makes animated films and - to earn money - he also designs multimedia exhibition formats for the car industry and works as a lecturer for interactive media. In any case, we are always very happy to have Owi with us, not only because Owi is so creative and can build anything, but also because he is so casual, cool and always relaxed and friendly.
Oliver
artist / sculptor
Oliver is a freelance artist and sculptor and he works, among other things, in the integrative educational project You&Eye for the Frankfurt Cultural Office. Since his childhood in Porto, Portugal, Oliver has traveled with pen and paper and was equally fascinated by impressive buildings and people.
He was then very technically influenced through his art studies at the Städelschule (Master student under Hermann Nitsch), because there he learned the mathematical level of drawing, mastered the depth effect of lines and structures and discovered the art of abstraction and construction as his passion. Thematically, the interplay between good and evil runs through his art - from real people, the quiet heroes of everyday life, wild rockers or the often forgotten oppressed to the fantasy world of glittering superheroes and loud monsters.
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In his drawing workshop at our studio, Oliver works in a process-oriented and non-judgmental manner. As needed, he shows the children everything they want to know and can learn about proportions, perspectives and drawing techniques, without interfering with the content of the individual's creative process.