Touched by Art: Oliver Schwarz & Marion Eichmann

Oliver Schwarz is a gifted draftsman—his artistic partner, Marion Eichmann, is convinced of this. He can draw lines and shapes freehand; he is a keen observer. “But I also show him how beneficial simplification can be,” says Marion Eichmann. Oliver Schwarz lives in his own apartment, in the same building as his partner Julia Collet, not far from the Palast Hotel. Both take advantage of opportunities offered through the EVIM Partisipasi day program. He also attends the Open Studio on Karlstraße. He draws, plays the drums, and creates spectacular wire sculptures inspired by music. “I see music,” he says. “I respond to rhythm.” This fascinates the artist Marion Eichmann, who is also from Berlin. She is known for spectacular paper collages inspired by cities, architecture, and traffic scenes. She is also booked for window displays: Bechstein, Hermès, and Porsche are among the names listed on her website. She is enthusiastic about the creative power of Oliver Schwarz, with whom she collaborates as a duo. “He sees so much.” She has wandered through Wiesbaden on her own, creating a collage of the Kurhaus foyer and one of the Kochbrunnen Temple. With Oliver Schwarz, she has explored the historic Palast Hotel, its stairwells, windows, and other details. This has already resulted in initial small studies in which Oliver Schwarz experiments with the reduction of colors and forms. “You can coax a lot out of him,” Marion Eichmann is convinced. (Text: Anja Baumgart-Pietsch, Photos: evim/rui camilo)