Meet the Artist: Christoph Rode
Get to know the creative mind behind our 2023 campaign artwork – ‘Deckung’ – by Berlin-based artist, Christoph Rode. Read the interview to understand his inspiration, process and the reason why he always returns to the Affordable Art Fair.
Hannah Weber-Heidenfels
Monday 21 August, 2023
Introducing artist Christoph Rode, whose work is featured in this year’s campaign for Affordable Art Fair Hamburg (9 – 12 November 2023) and our new Affordable Art Fair Berlin (12 – 14 April 2024). Known for his fictional stage installations shown on large-format oil paintings, Christoph Rode is represented at our fair by the renowned Uhlig Gallery; one of our long-term exhibitors who have presented with us since 2013.
Christoph Rode’s multidimensional works are a combination of abstract and realism, absolutely fictional and full of fragmented content. In the collage-like paintings all parts are arranged well thought out. The scenarios are left open consciously to give the viewer a wide freedom for their own interpretation.
“This is staging, this is all fake.“
Christoph Rode
INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPH RODE
We met Christoph Rode in his Berlin studio to learn more about his work and the process he uses to develop his consistently fascinating artworks.
What do you feel that you’re expressing with your works?
My paintings reminisce stage installations and multidimensional scenarios; the search for a loud silence in a room. You’ll always find a certain tension within my works, playing around with the effects of light and shadow, inside and outside. The action is not in the foreground, but the scene itself, and the question about what’s happening there. I don’t think about a story, certain characters or the dimension of time. I prefer when the plot keeps as open as possible.
There is no perfection in my scenes; the ground is morbid and rugged. It’s an interplay between nature and urban, with the nature is taking back the urban. You don’t know if the scene is playing inside or outside. The title and artwork may head in the same direction, but they don’t need to go hand in hand.
“I have nothing to do with the painting myself. I would never paint myself into one of my paintings. I’m only the one who is arranging the scene, like the director of a movie.”
I’m very interested in film, but as it costs a lot of money and time, I prefer to paint the scenes myself. I’m like the director of a movie who is arranging the scenes. Beside the stage installations with the acting protagonists in the painting, you can even imagine more people surrounding it, like while the shooting of a movie scene takes place: Those who hold the water, hold the cables and the light technicians.
Who are some of your main influences when it comes to your creative process?
When I have an idea in my mind for a new scenario, I start collecting impressions. For inspiration, I often go for an evening walk in the forest, where I have time to myself, and take my thoughts there. Or, I’ll go for a walk around the town. I take a lot of photos or screenshots of videos I watch to collect my ideas.
Each work consists of around 50 different impressions, which I have in my head and bring together in a painting from all these different snippets. Smaller formats are more difficult for me to deal with, in large-formate paintings I have more space to arrange the scenarios.
Colors and object are often chosen subconsciously.
How does your work investigate the relationship between space and time?
My scenes have neither time nor space, like in a movie; only the props give certain hints. The spectators do not know where they are.
The interiors and costumes refer to the years between around 1960-1980. I’m drawn to this time period because it has a unique charm, which new IKEA furniture would not offer in the same way.
The interaction between interior and nature brings about the question of whether the scene takes place inside or outside. I’m interested in this opacity, as it creates a certain tension.
Can you tell us a little bit about the protagonists portrayed in your paintings?
I show the protagonists in my work without heads as, without doing so, it would make the content too specific and remove the space for individual interpretation. The facial expressions might take the attention away from the important gestures.
“Through this, it makes it clearer that the persons shown are featured as protagonists.”
This also covers the decision about depicting them in suits. They are like costumes, which they are wearing. On the other hand, busts and statues are always headed in my works, as they are dead objects.
How do you work whilst in the studio?
First of all, I allow an idea to arise. Then, I will implement and process it as I’m working with impressions and photographs. I always start with a rough outline. Typically, I will have already fixed the color scheme and composition in my head.
It’s a very engaging process. While painting, I put myself inside the scenes, constructing and arranging them. I’m always interested in developing them further. For the outsider, the works might look similar to each other, but I make sure that no image is the same. There is such an infinite amount of material, you just have to put it together.
Which artists and styles inspire you?
I’m a subconscious person who doesn’t like to be influenced by the work of other artists. So I’m not looking too much on what others are doing, I’m just doing my own thing.
Reviewing my work over the last years retrospectively, you can see differences, especially regarding the colours I use. But, I wouldn’t speak of series, more of periods. The colors are mostly influenced subconsciously by how I feel.
My aim is that a work I produce should still be interesting after two years. Waking up in the morning and looking at the painting, you should always find a new interesting detail as a result.
How do you think your works have developed further within the past few years?
In the recent years, my work has become more focused. With previous years, I have included more abstract elements, but now, the representation is becoming more and more and I want it to stay that way.
What does the Affordable Art Fair represent for you? What do you enjoy about the fair?
I like the relaxed atmosphere at the fair and have good memories to it. I have spent some nice evenings there, especially at the Vernissage.
I always like to get to see other artistic positions, as well as emerging artists who are just getting started on their initial phase. That’s interesting, as it’s an important step. This way you see a lot of new things and get a feeling of how the market is right now.
Most of your artworks are now above our price limit of 10.000€, so we’d like to know why you still like to take part in the future of Affordable Art Fair?
For me, it’s just a question of the formats I can show. I always tried to take part in the Affordable Art Fair, even if the price range no longer fitted for me. Then, I just started to produce more smaller works; adjusting and committing to them. With the new price limit of 10.000€, I will be able to show bigger works again.
“I have no problem at all to work together with emerging artists.”
Everything else would appear aloof to me. My only stipulation is that it still has to work price wise for me, and it does. I have built up a network of many regular customers in Hamburg within the last years who continue to come back, so do I.
We hope you enjoyed reading about Christoph Rode‘s practice. Make sure to get your tickets to our upcoming Fair to see his work!
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