Artists

Niels Fälle, Janes Haid-Schmallenberg, Damaris Kerkhoff, Ramon Quenders, Philipp Röcker, Maxim von Schirach

Press release

The new group exhibition “vs.” plays with the unique characteristics of the spaces at Clages—and uses them to develop a dramatic structure. Six artistic perspectives each have their own stage, connected by lines of sight. In the front section, a large-format painting by Ramon Quenders meets sculptures by Damaris Kerkhoff. Further back, the space takes on a more cabinet-like character: Jane Haid-Schmallenberg’s paintings meet the sculptural works of Philipp Röcker here, and Maxim von Schirach’s reliefs encounter the sculptural works of Niels Fäßle. The works face each other and simultaneously respond to one another. “Versus” does not only mean “against” or “in opposition to,” but derives from the Latin term “vertere,” which also encompasses the meanings “to turn toward” and “to transform.” That is exactly what is happening here. Damaris Kerkhoff’s exhibited sculptures are deliberately situated between figuration and abstraction. Composed of chicken wire, plaster, and acrylic paint, the works are reminiscent of a human organ in their form and color. The rough use of materials—which at first glance appears unfinished—simultaneously opens up the figuration toward an abstract form. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear how deliberately Kerkhoff has developed their sketch-like appearance: As one gets closer, it becomes apparent how delicately and subtly the artist exploits the potential of the materials in both objects. This is evident, for example, at their edges, which are transformed into a dynamic interplay of concave and convex curves. To heighten the formal tension, the plaster and paint—partly applied in smooth strokes—meets wavy or jagged gradients of the same material, thereby enticing the viewer’s eye into a visual-tactile perception. Ramon Quender’s paintings take shape during the painting process itself. As a result, the works reveal many of the distortions and corrections that occurred as they were created. The visible revisions are deliberately left intact, thereby placing the focus on the very process of the paintings’ creation. Another defining feature of Quender’s painting is the integration of text into the image. The characters may form words that reinforce the meaning of the pictorial representation. This meaning can also be challenged by individual terms and sentences or expanded upon in an associative manner. It is also striking that the characters can be integrated in abbreviated form—as fragments—or mirror-reversed. Janes Haid-Schmallenberg explores in his works how a painting can tell a story. As the artist continually seeks to explore the means at his disposal in new ways, the visual language and narrative potential of his works consequently vary. The beings created from paint inhabit worlds that exist only in Haid-Schmallenberg’s paintings. Often, these invented forms are not rendered as uniform figures, but are composed—in an incredibly diverse manner—of various constellations of color, planes, and lines. This approach results in compositions that inextricably and very specifically link the figurative to a rhythmic oscillation of all pictorial elements. In Philipp Röcker’s reliefs, this artistic medium is consistently presented as a genuine hybrid form between sculpture and painting. In the exhibited works, the use of color is reminiscent of watercolor painting, which intensifies the pictorial quality of the reliefs. In addition, Röcker achieves an exciting symbiosis between the painterly, pictorial aspect of the works and the spatial, sculptural character of the plaster panels—not least by deliberately leaving cracks and chips visible as inherent properties of the material. By presenting the reliefs not only as hanging works but also deliberately exhibiting them standing in the room away from the wall, the artist provokes a further shift in the perception of his works toward their sculptural quality. Maxim von Schirach’s reliefs captivate with their clear, minimalist formal language. Frank Stella’s famous statement from the 1960s—“What you see is what you see”—with which he expressed that his works no longer pursue emotional or profound intentions, but rather that the formal aspect stands at the center of both creation and reception, also applies to von Schirach’s artworks. The reliefs invite viewers to look closely: when they do, they see that in a gray relief, two sharply defined edges—one longer and one shorter—do more than simply divide and give rhythm to its surface. The edges, which protrude slightly into space, also follow a trajectory that transitions from rounded to angular—or, depending on the direction of perception, the other way around. Furthermore, they reflect the light falling on the work upward and cast shadows downward. These are the subtlest of changes that permeate von Schirach’s artworks—which at first glance appear simple and clear—and thus create visual tension. Niels Fäßle works with various media, including artistic casting—for example, in bronze—a craft he mastered as an art caster before beginning his studies at the academy. In “Bridge,” the real-life form of a bridge is transformed into a bronze wall sculpture whose shape clearly reveals its motivic origin. At the same time, the scaling down, formal reduction, and simplification of the motif—in conjunction with the material properties of the bronze casting—create an abstraction that grants the artistic object a sense of autonomy. The bridge remains an important motif here: despite its transformation into a work of art, its narrative quality remains recognizable. Fäßle’s works, in their own way, renew the idea of post-minimalist visual art by consciously seeking narrative potential alongside clarity and simplicity of form. – Guido Reuter