Wandeln

Press Release

Qin Yan

One evening, 

I was invited by a friend,  

To walk in her apartment,  

To feel the transformation that gently unfolds.

I rang the doorbell and walked up the stairs,

In the stairwell I met a man with a moustache, his suit old, covered in snow.

It was as if he had just come out of a snowstorm.

As much as I remember, 

I found myself before that wooden door, slightly ajar.  

Slowly, I pushed it open…

–– A transformation of the first section of The Walk by Robert Walser

Transformations are a widespread phenomenon in the contemporary art world. They encompass the reshaping of materials, the metamorphosis of forms, structures, or spaces, as well as the depiction of processes of change. The exhibition “Wandeln” showcases paintings, sculptures, and installations by six international artists. Visitors are invited to stroll through the exhibition and immerse themselves in the fascinating world of artistic transformations. The exhibition encourages seeing the works as reflections of the changing world around us. It allows for discovery of the possibilities these transformations offer for our own perception and interpretation.

The works of Friederike Feldmann, Ursula Döbereiner, and Linhan Yu initiate a process of media transformation, where the concepts of „automatic”, „automated” and “autonomous” are interwoven into a web of reflections. Friederike Feldmann explores various transitional and boundary areas – from painting to drawing, through lines and script, from paper to the wall, and finally to space. In this continuous process of transformation, she focuses on core aspects of painting and drawing such as gesture, texture, and representation. During the creative process of Ursula Döbereiner and Linhan Yu, digital technologies such as scanning, printing, copying, 3D scanning, and photography are used. This raises the question of whether the integration of digital means can influence traditional art genres like painting and drawing, and whether it changes our perspective. The aim is not to make a definitive choice between different techniques but rather to explore their mutual influences in the process of media transformation.

Sibylle Springer references historical artists, especially forgotten female artists from past centuries, and their works. She positions herself somewhat outside the artwork’s context to consider the contemporary constituent conditions of the work. Such aesthetic transformations allow us to reevaluate old works from a contemporary perspective.

Wenfeng Liao and Robert Schwark present transformations of everyday objects that are familiar to us. In his works, Wenfeng Liao often uses everyday objects or natural items as the starting point for his reflections. Through his skillful design, he transforms them into bridges that connect memories, perceptions, and physical experiences, offering viewers new ways to experience everyday life. He prefers to present art in a way that is not too difficult to understand, using entertaining elements and wordplay to make the art accessible to any audience. Robert Schwark often designs his works with everyday objects or script, reducing them to their essential form until they lose their figurative or narrative identity and enter a state of ambiguity. The vague and indeterminate nature of his works leaves space for open interpretation, allowing viewers to actively uncover the meaning themselves.

The results of the transformations in the works presented here convey not only the thoughts, ideas, or messages of the artists but also hint at technical, economic, social, and political changes in the present day.