Veronika Kunz | The Soft Golden
The book/movie you recently read/watched.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab/ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh.
Three words to describe your hometown Basel.
Small, Bicycle, great alternative underground.
When was the last time you cried and why?
Actually, just today. I had a moment where I felt disconnected from everyone and things. And then there is this emotion coming over me which feels like being completely lonely in this world and nobody is around to understand and accept me and my feelings. This situation comes with melancholia and some teardrops in the corner of my eyes, knowing in this second, I am connected with myself.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Open, sensitive, honest.
What’s the one thing you do every day in your daily routine?
Taking a shit in the morning.
What are the frequently discussed topics over dinner?
Relationships, finding a balance between my own space and any relationship; politics.
Try to describe your work as a person.
Loud, sometimes annoying, and sometimes melancholy... lost... trapped...
Home
“I grew up in Basel and lived there until recently. Basel is quite a small city (only 200,000 residents), but it’s super multicultural. On 37 square kilometers are almost 40 museums. The city also belongs to a border triangle (Germany and France). Basel definitely played a big role in my openness and acceptance of being different. In general, to be aware and accept different kinds of views.
I don’t really know what motivated me to become a model. I just had inner beliefs that this is my pathway. My Father inspired me the most. He is super crazy and doesn’t fit in this world and in our norms. But he has the capability and balls to be truly himself with no fear of getting evaluated from the outside. Which can be annoying sometimes when I am spending time with him because I do have fears to get evaluated from the outside… :)
I always doubt everything in my career path all the time. One of the topics which are coming up to my mind is the fact that I don’t have an education with a degree. Since I got trimmed by the school system as well by society of the importance of a degree. But I haven’t really figured out yet what I want to study. And then the question is rising: do I really want to study or is it the pressure of society or my own?
True beauty for me is taking full responsibility for yourself. If you don’t give your responsibility away, you are in power and will find room to create and be creative. With responsibility, you know yourself better and you will get the chance to be able to stand in front of people without doubts and truly like who you are. In my opinion, that’s the best beauty and it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man. Same story.
And for me, I give my best to be who I am. Even though many times I am a weirdo and not cool!”
Art
“I see myself as a person who is questioning a lot (society, politics, the current state of the world, and my own psyche…), I am very self-critical (probably too much), I place a lot of value on morals, manners and having an opinion in general, a big child at heart.
I started to paint when I was a child, I take the chance now to thank my parents for this education in my childhood. I am Interested in all kinds of different materials like wood, paper, metals, clay, Fimo, stone… etc. I would like to try crafting more objects with different materials.
Except for my family and a few friends, I don’t really have an audience for my art because I haven’t shown it yet to people. You are one of the first :) I am excited about any feedback.
The inspiration for my painting is pain. Very unpleasant I know. :) But the truth is that the most honest emotional creativity in my life is happening when I am completely lost and feel like shit. So my art is definitely depending on my private situation and the situation of my surrounding. For example, the current state of society.
If you are lucky, you know the substance of your fear. Then you have the chance to take the fear by your hands, confront and to have a collaboration with it, which is one of the best and most beautiful things in life regarding the relationship with yourself, in my opinion.
If the substance of the fear is not that clear, I try to do things that calm me down and where I can connect better with myself and the earth.
The fact is that with painting I get an opportunity to be completely in the situation and that means I am connected with the world / universe. It is the best present of God or the universe or however you want to call it. Secondly, it is a medium where I can visualize my emotion as well as my subconsciousness. So it can help you to reflect on yourself, even very subtle emotions or situations.”
Veronika Kunz, Untitled, 2020
Veronika Kunz, Untitled, 2019
Veronika Kunz, Untitled, 2020
Veronika Kunz, Untitled, 2021
Veronika Kunz, Untitled, 2021
Nature
“I think Nature is playing the most important role in the healthy state of mind of a single person and society. Nature can be a very good teacher in connecting with yourself and the outside. With connection and calmness, we know better what really matters and what we need. Unfortunately, I believe we are in a different state at the moment. I see and feel a lot of disconnection, including myself.
A sustainable lifestyle starts by taking over your responsibility. And do not give it away!! Very uncomfortable but it is the key to true sustainability. That means, we all, as a single person, play a role in our society and have a responsibility. I am not talking about recycling your trash or not. I am talking about starting to bring back responsibilities from the states and big cooperations.
We all know here lies true unsustainability. That means we need to have easy access to informative and highly qualitative information. Only then we can reflect and have a solid opinion and take actions that really make sense. Maybe it’s a bit of idealistic thinking but there I am so far... I am very open to having a good discussion about it.
In my case, I have a bike, and guess what, I am recycling my trash:), every piece of furniture I have is secondhand, and the same with my clothes. I try to have a simple lifestyle...”
“Hahahaha sustainable fashion? Very good question.
As long as fashion companies are having the same economic approach as everywhere else, I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. If we have stakeholders who are interested only in profits, how can anyone talk about sustainability?
Secondly, how many pieces does a big brand produce per year? I mean, we have 60-80 looks per runway show. How is the quality of the material from a very expensive brand? What is the quality of the wool they use? How long is the fiber of the yarn from the sweater you are wearing? Can you still use it after 3 years?
Thirdly, in my opinion, psychology plays a big role as well. As long as we are trapped in consumption (cell phone, Instagram, Netflix, books, clothes …) we will not have time to create or be creative and we will define ourselves through material things instead of who we are. So we want and need to own a lot of different clothes really fast.
This topic is actually really important to me. I am trapped too, and I am fighting myself, finding a way not to take my phone for my morning shit, or when I feel empty not to run in the city and buy a lot of stuff that I don’t really need.
So I guess in the end it’s about self-consciousness and carrying the responsibility of your psyche, and then the rest. :) ”
Photography Nadine Ottawa Styling Kat Zolototrubova Model Veronika Kunz @LoveManagement
Interview Murphy Guo Beauty Nicola Fischer Retouching Bird Imaging
All clothing Chloé
The story was published in noisé issue 02 A Falling Leaf Heralds Autumn, 2022.