Drawing in Space: Monika Grzymala on Tape, Ephemeral Art & Intuition
Episode 38
Anastasia Parmson, Monika Grzymala
3/17/20262 min read
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A philosophical conversation with Berlin-based artist Monika Grzymala, whose spatial drawings transform architecture with nothing but kilometers of black tape, intuition and intense physical labor.
Monika's practice is deceptively simple: she works alone, without assistants, using adhesive tape to create immersive three-dimensional drawings that respond to each unique space. But beneath that simplicity we discuss profound questions about ephemerality, energy, presence and what remains when a work only exists for weeks before disappearing…
From training as a stone sculptor to making her first site-specific drawing on ice at a Hamburg skating rink, from dumping all her figurative work after one transformative conversation with her professor to developing custom tape formulas with German manufacturers—Monika's journey reveals how radical simplicity can be the most powerful artistic choice.
Key insights from this episode:
• How one professor's comment changed everything
• The longevity of tape installations: 2-3 months before they fall apart (and why that's intentional)
• Documentation philosophy: why time-lapse videos don't capture the real process
• Living inside an installation: the collector who surrounded herself with Monika's work
• Advice for emerging artists: you don't need funding or large studios—just do it
Monika Grzymala is a Polish artist based in Berlin. You can find out more about her work on her website: http://www.t-r-a-n-s-i-t.net/ and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.grzymala/
Monika’s publications: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/search/results?q=monika grzymala
She is represented by
Galerie CRONE: https://www.galeriecrone.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/galerie_crone/
BERG Contemporary: https://www.bergcontemporary.is/en | https://www.instagram.com/bergcontemporary/
SECCI Gallery: https://www.seccigallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/secci_gallery/
03:20 Studio Rituals
03:48 Berlin Life And Process
05:44 Origins And Training
08:01 Finding The Line
13:25 Ephemeral Tape Philosophy
31:24 Hunting For The Perfect Tape
32:21 Liquid Drawing Mindset
36:14 Funding Ephemeral Installations
38:06 Energy, Memory And Reality
41:31 Logistics And Documentation
56:15 Advice For Young Artists
Also mentioned in this episode:
MoMA: https://www.moma.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/themuseumofmodernart | @themuseumofmodernart
The Drawing Center: https://drawingcenter.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/drawingcenter/
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Tokyo Art Museum: https://www.tobikan.jp/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/tokyometropolitanartmuseum/ | @tokyometropolitanartmuseum7280
Louise Bourgeois: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois | https://www.instagram.com/artistelouisebourgeois/
Documenta: https://documenta.de/en | https://www.instagram.com/documenta_official | @documenta_official
Bogomir Ecker: https://www.artforum.com/events/bogomir-ecker-2-226647/
Olafur Eliasson: https://olafureliasson.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/studioolafureliasson/ Dian Woodner: https://patronview.com/patrons/dian-woodner
Frac Lorraine: https://www.fraclorraine.org/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/fraclorraine/ | @49nord6est-fraclorraine
Kunstlerhaus Dortmund: https://www.kh-do.de/ | https://www.instagram.com/kuenstlerinnenhaus_dortmund | @kunstlerhausdortmund2577
Kunstmuseum Basel: https://kunstmuseumbasel.ch/ | https://www.instagram.com/kunstmuseumbasel/ | @kumubasel
