Manhattan Penguins

About Robert Jahns

In his lively works, German artist Robert Jahns creates colorful fantasy worlds. From New York to Venice, his playful photo manipulations connect people, nature, and movement, blurring the lines between dream and reality. Crowned the… Read more

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In his lively works, German artist Robert Jahns creates colorful fantasy worlds. From New York to Venice, his playful photo manipulations connect people, nature, and movement, blurring the lines between dream and reality. Crowned the “World’s Leading Modern Digital Artist,” Jahns is among the most significant artists in the genre. Jahns explores all the possibilities presented by new media and reaches over a million people with his work on Instagram.

Traveling is where Jahns finds inspiration for his work. From Paris to London to Dubai, his art arises in the most diverse places to tell a story all its own. Jahns wants to inspire us to think and ask ourselves whether what we perceive is real or surreal. Just one glance is enough to evoke deep emotions. “It’s interesting,” Jahns says, “to dream of something great instead of just seeing what already exists.”

NYC Balloons

In his NYC Balloons series, Robert Jahns creates surreal, almost fairy-tale moments in New York. Through countless balloons, the real world of Manhattan transforms into an exultant fantasy world. It is astonishing to see the Empire State Building towering out over a sea of colorful balloons. The surprising artworks are bursting with joy and vivacity. Feelings of bliss and enthusiasm arise before we start to dream away with Jahns.

Dreams

The Dreams series takes us to the most fascinating cities on earth. There we do not encounter the famous landmarks and monuments. Instead, we are confronted with unexpected events: a family a penguins marching on New York’s Broadway in the driven snow or a giant whale swimming in Venice’s Grand Canal. In these celebrations of the tremendous power of imagination, Jahns points out that everyone is entitled to dream.

NFT in a Box

If the countless fun and colourful balloons in Robert Jahns’s NYC photographs are charming harbingers of the good fortune and joyfully colourful smiles characteristic of the Big Apple, they now become artful groups of inflatable fun that fill the image. Like curious beings, they float into the frame, clump together, shoot the viewer a curious glance and form an impenetrable curtain, only to be released as if on command and to rise to the sky, thus furnishing a summery view of New York’s impressive skyline. But the next group of travel-happy balloons is already rising, filling the image as actors in the next stage of the image’s evolution. No matter where they go, new ones always come to replace them.

Stephan Reisner

VITA

Robert Jahns has over 1.2 million Instagram followers. His colorful works frequently receive more than 50,000 likes in just a few hours. An internationally successful artist, Jahns collaborates with notable photographers from all over the world. He was a finalist at the Shorty Awards in the “Instagrammer of the Year” category. Additionally, Jahns took 13th place in the international “Top 100 Photographers on the Web” (2016) and was the first place finisher in Germany. In the “Art” category, he ranked first worldwide. Robert Jahns lives and works in Hamburg.

INTERVIEW

Picasso once said, "You don't make art, you find it." Where do you find your art?

I find art in my thoughts and my passions. There are many emotions in my works and every new creation represents a piece of my soul.


From concept to creation: How do you approach your work?

I want the viewer to feel my work, so it’s important what story I intend to tell with my pictures. Every color changes the mood of the image. There are various processes, but the most important is to first envision the idea in my head, then create the image, and finally show it to the world.


What’s your favorite book?

My own! The experience of writing a book was a really fulfilling and extraordinary one. The feeling of nearly disappearing into a fantasy world while writing was insane. The book is called "Traumwelten" or "World of Dreams" by Nois7.


Which artist would you like to have coffee with and what would you talk about?

I've been lucky enough to have met a lot of creative people. If I had to name one artist, it would be Pak. We would definitely talk about visions, creativity, and the future of digital art.


How did you develop an interest in art?

At the age of 15 I discovered photography and image editing. After a few years my style developed, and I've stuck with it since.


Who in your life influences you the most?

Without a doubt, my wife.


If you had a time machine, where would you go?

Definitely into the future. I'm curious to know when we'll finally see flying cars.


What is your greatest passion, aside from art?

Travel, travel, travel. Being able to discover the world is the greatest gift in my opinion.


What are you working on at the moment?

On my new NFT collection called "Woke up in a Dream," which will be released on July 3