Christian Kaiser and Corinna Engel are freelance artists, authors,
entrepreneurs, and fashion designers. They currently live and work
alternately in Berlin, Munich, and Corsica. They became known to the public
with their project „HeroinKids." The project includes photographs, videos, as
well as visual and acoustic installations. HeroinKids is an art project and a
fashion brand from Berlin, founded by Corinna Elena Engel and Christian
Kaiser. Inspired by illegal rave parties, Berlin's techno club scene, and
punk attitude, Corinna Engel and Christian Kaiser create a nihilistic vision of
beauty, grace, decadence, and fragility. "HeroinKids" reflects youth
between feelings of alienation, unwantedness, and boredom. Their works
create a nihilistic vision of beauty, fragility, and grace. They address
themes of living and being lived, with people becoming pawns in their works.
There's no attempt at an educational approach or moral finger-pointing.
Accusations of endangering youth, glorifying drugs, and sexism debates
quickly arose. Attempts to ban the project and lengthy, elaborate legal
proceedings ultimately favored artistic freedom.
Their art project "HeroinKids" is discussed nationally and internationally on
television, in magazines, and newspapers (PRO7, RTL, INTOUCH, BRAVO
Magazine, SPIEGEL, FOCUS, BILD Newspaper, TAGESSPIEGEL,
SÜDDEUTSCHE Zeitung, LINDA NIEUWS, NSS Mag, KULTURNEWS, NSS
Mag, NOIZZ, BLANC Magazine, BUNTE, Tagesspiegel... and more).
World-renowned photographer Jock Sturges (with whom the artists
collaborated in the summer of 2012) says about the works: "HeroinKids is
powerful in its revelations and socially very valuable. 'Beauty' is a broken
flower in these lives (...). The Japanese love cherry blossom season but the
last day or two, most of all. It is the sad rain of falling petals that most moves
them."
Jerry Saltz, art critic for New York Magazine in the USA, says about the
"HeroinKids" photographs: "These look real good. (...) do more. Go even
deeper."
They collaborated with renowned art director Andrew Ruszala, who has
also produced spots for AUDI, MERCEDES, DIOR, DEUTSCHE BANK,
FOCUS, and more, on a fashion short film. In 2017, excerpts from the film
were shown at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival.
Corinna Engel and Christian Kaiser were present at the event "At The Edge
Of Fashion Branding" at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival and spoke to an
international audience of the fashion industry on how young designers and
artists can successfully brand fashion nowadays, strongly emphasizing young
media and their art.
Successful collaborations included models like Julia Wulf (GNTM), Ania Chiz
(ELITE PARIS, PRADA, CHANEL), and Yana Kyrukova. International
superstars like Headhunterz regularly wear the fashion brand kaiserengel® /
heroin®kids by Corinna Engel and Christian Kaiser at their concerts.
Public figures such as Dr. Mark Benecke regularly attend the exhibitions.
"Heroin®Kids" has a large number of international, very loyal fans who have
been following the project for years and who travel long distances from
countries like the USA to attend an exhibition.
The photographs are sold as large-format individual pieces (up to 2m x 3m)
and in limited edition (1 of 3) starting from 1500 Euros. Christian Kaiser and
Corinna Engel regularly sell pictures to art collectors.
A photo book on the "HeroinKids" art project with more than 200 pages in
the format 32cm x 32cm was published in 2011 by a German publisher
(Prophecy/Index) (ISBN 9783936878219). Additionally, in 2011, the same
publisher released a DVD of the art video HEROINKIDS.
Christian Kaiser and Corinna Engel also wrote the youth book
"Seelenvernichter (ISBN 9783939239000 Ubooks Verlag), which addresses
violence among teenage girls.
