Michaela Schmid's latest series,‘Body Shells’,invites viewers into a contemplative exploration of the artisticlife cycle and the elusive concept of the "end product."In constructing the 'Body Shells,' Schmid imbues thecanvases with an internal structure, inflating and defining their forms before subjecting them to an intricateand labor-intensive process of detachment, even resulting in small cuts and scrapes on her hands. This meticulous act results in subtle scars, tears, and creases–poignant vestiges of the forceful artistic birth.Inspired by artists like Frank Stella and Sam Gilliam, who challenged conventional notions of painting and canvas, Schmid's monochrome works invite viewers to observe color in its materiality. Close inspection reveals traces left behind during the process of peeling the works from their body, serving as a metaphor for the inevitability of change and the necessity to shed layers that no longer serve. The delicate tears, color abrasions, folds, and creases become poetic traces of time, immortalized in the visual narrative of transformation encapsulated by the body as art.Schmid's 'Body Shells', which also refer to the works of Swiss sculptor Heidi Bucher, exhibit similar processes, but differ in their approach and thematic content. While both artists explore the relationship between body and space, Bucher's 'Skinnings' are latex casts of real spaces that emphasise the psychological aspects of space. Both artists use strength and vigour to detach the "skins"from their former bodies. Unlike Bucher, however, Schmid creates the "skeletons" herself, and thus the function of the originally filled form of the 'BodyShells' is only the creation of the work itself.Through the installation of the‘Body Shell’ works, which are stiff yet still flexible, Schmid introduces an additional layer of dynamism, with the folds of the work being determined by the way they are hung, and later influenced by gravitational forces underscoring the ever-evolving nature of the artworks over time.Aligning herself with a historical continuum grappling with the canvas's role as a pictorial carrier, Schmid explores contrasts in her oeuvre—fullness and emptiness, process and product, surface, and traces.Her broader artistic trajectory, exemplified by the ongoing series 'Komplex,' delves into Constructivism principles, seeking harmony between form and function.Michaela Schmid's 'Body Shells' represents not merely an isolated creation but a culmination of her artistic journey, intricately interwoven with art historical echoes and contemporaneous explorations. Through a tapestry of form, color, and materiality, Schmid beckons viewers into a sensory and intellectual experience, embracing the ever-shifting landscape of artistic expression.

Text by: Vivienne Heinzelmann