Mana Binz lives in a special complex of buildings: seven interconnected houses, all of which she has lavishly restored and renovated. This extraordinary ensemble of houses is located on the Middle Moselle in Lieser. A village of just under 1,200 inhabitants, idyllically situated, surrounded by steep vineyards and the Moselle River.
Each house has its own history and originally belonged to St. Paul's Church in Lieser. Until her grandfather bought the former rectory, now her private residence, from the church. The smallest of the seven houses is Mana's birthplace or parents' house. It belonged to her mother's family - a family of winegrowers. Mana and her two siblings were born in this house and spent their childhood here. From the parents' house, the Art Nouveau staircase leads to the music room. This building used to be the wine press house, where wine was made. Next door is the former winegrower's house, which now houses Mana's office and her sacred room, among other things. Through the openings on each level you can get to her workshop and studio with the large ceiling fresco - the former slaughterhouse. Adjacent to this building is the former coachman's house, which now houses, for example, Mana's sports room.
Even as a little girl, Mana dreamed of a life as an artist or stage designer. After graduating from high school, she wanted to study art. Her father, however, forbade her to pursue the "breadless art". So, rather reluctantly, she studied law and business administration in Bonn. But she did not let herself be deprived of art. In addition to her studies, she acquired her know-how in art, especially in glass art, autodidactically. A double burden that demanded a lot of her, but also gave her inspiration.
After living for many years in cities such as Düsseldorf, Bonn, Berlin, Friedrichshafen and Munich and working successfully as a lawyer and human resources manager, she moved to Brussels in the early 1990s. There she founded her own personnel consultancy. Self-employment allowed her to invest more time in her art and she celebrated her artistic breakthrough in Brussels: she created her first mobile frescoes - paintings on free-falling, large fabrics. Her art has been in demand internationally ever since.
When her parents died, she took over the family home in Lieser on the Moselle and renovated it. Over the years, she added several adjacent buildings, some of which were also family-owned, and transformed them into the current ensemble with great attention to detail and very considerable effort. Mana created airy and large rooms, in some of which sacred or artistically designed windows were installed.
She herself was the construction supervisor for each stage of construction. As much as possible, she worked with regional craftsmen. A prime example of the good cooperation is the Art Nouveau staircase in the former wine press house, now the music room. She herself was involved in the construction of the ornate staircase as a designer, as were a blacksmith, two carpenters and a stair builder.
In the meantime, Mana has lived in her ensemble of houses for 20 years. Working and living take place under one large or several small roofs. In her workshop in the former slaughterhouse, she finds optimal production conditions for her art. The large, heavy kilns with which she fires her own glass have their place here. Just like the large mobile frescoes she paints here. She calls her cultural workshop with studio and public rooms "Paulushof". She regularly invites people here to art exhibitions and other cultural meetings.
It is important to Mana to preserve the old town center and make it attractive. She wants to motivate and show that old villages are worth living in. The partly sacral rooms are also an appeal of the artist to save the village centers of the villages and cities.
00:00 Living in Paulushof
00:52 Entrance hall
01:11 Birth room
01:58 Bathroom
03:52 Attic
04:35 Custom-made staircase in the old wine press house
06:06 Music room
07:20 Former winegrower's house
08:25 Former slaughterhouse
09:22 Second floor of the slaughterhouse
11:18 The garden on the fourth level
12:13 Garden cottage with hidden kitchen
17 авг 2024
