Volkhardt Müller
Volkhardt Müller’s Witness Box, winner of Linolschnitt Heute international award for contemporary linocut, Galerie der Stadt Bietigheim, Germany Volkhardt is a German artist who has lived in Exeter since 2002, working on solo projects and collaboratively as part of Blind Ditch collective. Over the past five years he has been making new work about the city and the people who live here. He works with friends, neighbours, residents and strangers on the street to depict major themes shaping contemporary British society, through the prism of this one particular city he lives in. He has worked with and been supported by Exeter Phoenix on multiple projects over the years and brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to the city to everything he does. ‘Over the last ten years Exeter Phoenix has played a key role in my artistic development, alongside the city’s top arts venues Spacex and RAMM. Exeter Phoenix has hosted and commissioned both solo work of mine and collaborations with other artists. I continue to work in collaboration with Exeter Phoenix on the delivery of various projects. Exeter Phoenix is outstanding at providing direct and uncomplicated support for artists on many levels. These relationships become reciprocal, they form part of Exeter’s cultural ecology and Exeter Phoenix is right at the heart of it – the work on display in Exeter Phoenix ever only represents the tip of the iceberg of their achievements. As an artist I value the Phoenix for the incredible expertise amongst their staff and their deep commitment to making things happen both on a high end and a grass roots level. This would not be possible without their core strength- an unmatched understanding and knowledge of the local arts scene in relation to regional and national players, and for pretty much each and everyone of their key staff, a real understanding of how artists operate.’