[BIO]
Jonas Kolecki is a filmmaker, painter, and collagist whose multidisciplinary practice centers on time as both a tool and a subject. His work explores themes of ephemerality, decay, and the human impact on landscapes—physical and conceptual alike. Through site-specific and context-sensitive approaches, he creates projects across painting, film, performance, and collaboration that investigate the traces and transformations left by human presence. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich in Munich, Germany, where he was part of the class of Olaf Nicolai. His work has been exhibited at institutions including Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare, Bolzano, Italy (2020); Fondazione Centro Arti Visive di Pietrasanta, Pietrasanta, Italy (2018); and Kunstarkaden München, Munich, Germany (2023). His works are held in collections including the Muri-Gries Monastery, Bolzano, and the Barth Collection, Bressanone, Italy.
(Mariam Elnozahy – Artistic Director, Konsthall C Stockholm)
[ABOUT]
My approach to work is simple; I go on field trips to explore the unexpected and bring my discoveries to the studio to take care of and develop them further, kind of like a Pokémon trainer would do with their creatures. I am especially interested in how narratives, images, and myths shape our worldview and how they attempt to create meaning, as well as our collective interpretation of them. Therefore, I travel, read, and confront myself with imagery and content from Greek myths to contemporary comics and try to see them beyond their appearance. I believe that our present leftovers, traces, presences, and reminiscences can teach us a lot about our collective society, and I like to imagine what a person in 1000 years would think about us. While cinema is my access to image-making, all of my projects initiate as a drawing; some remain there, while others develop into space. I see my work as bringing socio-philosophical thoughts into action to connect people across disciplines and spaces.
[EDUCATION]
2025: MFA, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen — Class of Peter Wächtler
2026: Diploma, Academy of Fine Arts Munich — Class of Olaf Nicolai
2025: Archive // HIERARCHIES Program, led by Dora Budor
2024: CPH:DOX Academy, Copenhagen
2023: Architecture & Art, Veit Laurent Kurz, Copenhagen
2016 – 2020: BFA in New Media Arts, Free University of Bolzano
Additional workshops with Otobong Nkanga, Beate Gütschow, Monica Bonvicini
[EXHIBITIONS]
2026 - In civilisations without boats, dreams dry up, ADBK, Munich
2026 - The River Remembers no Footsteps, Galerie Zeuthen, Copenhagen (Solo)
2025 - From the Road & Back Again, VAADS Institute Tiblisi, Georgia
2025 - Afgang - Kunsthalle Charlottenborg Copenhagen
2024 - Mites & Tites, Milky Way New York Gallery, Copenhagen
2023 - Through the Shades Of Broken Windows, Ping Pong Space, Copenhagen
2023 - Ajoutens, Copenhagen
2023, 5. arkadenale. Klassen, Kunstarkaden München, Munich, Germany
2023 - Adaptable, Repeatable, Changeable, DBK Munich
2022 - Studio, Practices, Arbeitstitel, Kunsthaus Dahlem Berlin
2022 - I Did not See it Coming, Lothringer 13 Munich
2020 - WIlli the Cat, Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare Bolzano
2018 - Michelangelo Reload Residency under 35, Pietrasanta, Italy
2018 - Tree Time, Bolzano, Italy curated by Massimo Bartolini
[TEACHING + WORKSHOPS]
2026 - Cultural Storytelling thorugh film, Luna Film Workshop
2026 - The Filmmaking Journey - Ongoing Lectures on Filmmaking
2023 - Das Universum - Painting & Animation Workshop for Children
[LINKS]
Ephemeral Film Production
ELLE Danmark
Lothringer 13 Halle (via KubaParis)
Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare
[COLLECTIONS]
Muri-Gries Monastery Collection, Bolzano, Italy
Barth Collection, Bressanone, Italy
Various private collectors in Danemark, Germany, Austria,Italy and Switzerland.
SELECTED PRESS
Feature interview in Elle.dk – Billedkunstner og filmskaber Jonas Kolecki: “Jeg så en klar linje mellem maleri og film…” — profile
🔗 https://elle.dk/agenda/karriere/billedkunstner-og-filmskaber-jonas-kolecki-jeg-sa-en-klar-linje-mellem-maleri-og-film-som-at-skrive-dagbog-og-poste-et-foto-af-en-oplevelse-pa-instagram
Press image & exhibition mention — Kunsthal Charlottenborg – Obscura (Yellow) shown in Afgang 2025 at Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
🔗 https://www.mynewsdesk.com/dk/kunsthal-charlottenborg/images/jonas-kolecki-obscura-yellow-2025-3416512
Artwork entry on Kunst på Arbejde – page documenting Jonas’s work Am Fluss as part of Samtidskunst: Årgang 2025 (contemporary art listing).
🔗 https://www.kunst-paa-arbejde.dk/vaerk/jonas-kolecki-am-fluss/
Exhibition details – WILLI the Cat at Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare — official exhibition documentation
🔗 https://fondazioneantoniodallenogare.com/en/events/922-willi_the_cat
Kunsthaus Dahlem (Berlin) exhibition listing / program — Studio?Practices? (Arbeitstitel) as participating artist in group context.
🔗 (pdf) https://www.adbk.de/images/stories/aktuell/2022/11/Flyer_Nicolai_Dahlem.pdf