BIOGRAPHY
Contemporary Artists – NONOS:
Contemporary artists Franziska and Mercedes Welte, known as NONOS, work as a unified artistic entity at the intersection of sculpture and painting. Their practice unfolds through a refined dialogue between form and color, shaped by material precision and an intensive engagement with movement and spatial perception. International exhibitions affirm their position within contemporary art. Woring as a unified artistic duo, they create works for art, collectors, galleries and architectural contexts where authorship, continuity and presence matter.
The works of NONOS have been exhibited internationally, including at Art Basel Miami, the Venice Biennale, and the Museum Stift Klosterneuburg, and are held in private and institutional collections. Their artworks are conceived as lasting sculptural presences, equally suited for distinguished private collections and architectural spaces.
Contemporary Artists with a Distinct Artistic Voice
NONOS stands for contemporary art born from movement, material, and intuition.
Collectors choose NONOS because they seek works that gain meaning over time.
An artistic language with continuity
NONOS have worked together as an artistic duo for years.
Their formal language has developed consistently from sculpture – expanding into wall works, painting, and spatial art.
This continuity creates trust.
Collectors recognize a signature that doesn’t follow trends – it expresses conviction.
ARTIST STATEMENT · NONOS
“We do not create art as a profession — we are art as a state of being.
Working is not a choice for us, but a necessity. Without the act of creating, an essential part of our lives would be missing. We cannot imagine existence without art, because art is how we think, feel, and understand the world.
Movement is at the core of our work. Nothing is static — neither human beings nor nature. We perceive movement as both physical and emotional, as an ongoing process of transformation. Balance, inner and outer, is essential for well-being. Presence is not a pose, but an attitude shaped from within and expressed outward. For this reason, mental and physical movement are inseparable in our artistic practice.
Material gives us freedom. Bronze, carbon, fiberglass, canvas, and pigments allow us to translate personal expression into form. Each material holds the ability to preserve energy, gesture, and intention. What matters most to us is direct authorship: every work is developed and shaped by our own hands. We do not delegate the creative process, because authenticity resides in personal engagement.
Our works emerge both freely and in dialogue with architecture and space. Light, scale, and spatial context are decisive for their full impact. Art, for us, does not close space — it opens it. We create for people who live with art. A work should accompany daily life, bring joy, and enrich the everyday. It can be a quiet presence, a dialogue, or both. Art unfolds over time, through proximity and repeated experience.
As sisters, we work as a single artistic entity. We understand each other intuitively and share the same vision. Alone, we would not be what we are together. In art, we are one voice expressed through two bodies.”
Material, space, and time
NONOS carefully select their materials – bronze, carbon, canvas, pigments, resin.
These materials age with dignity and gain character over time.
Many works respond sensitively to light, space, and perspective.
This creates a living relationship between artwork, space, and collector.
Art is not consumed – it accompanies.
International presence & institutional context
NONOS works are collected internationally and shown in galleries, museums, and architectural environments.
This visibility anchors the works within the contemporary art discourse.
It creates references, context, and long-term relevance.
Collectors don’t just acquire a piece – they acquire a position.
Emotion and daily experience
A work by NONOS reveals its quality in daily life.
It transforms spaces, creates calm or tension, and invites repeated contemplation.
Many collectors describe their works as silent companions.
The relationship grows over time – not through volume, but through presence.
Craftsmanship, authorship, and uniqueness
Each piece is created directly by the artists in their studio.
Form, surface, and color are never outsourced – but developed personally.
Even in technical processes, artistic control remains with NONOS.
The result: works with clear authorship and individual presence.
For collectors, this means:
No reproducible product – but a true artistic original.
