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Galerie Peter Kilchmann: BERND RIBBECK | BRUNO JAKOB - Unusual Things Happen - 2 Mar 2012 to 14 Apr 2012 Current Exhibition |
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BERND RIBBECK
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BERND RIBBECK March 2 nd to April 14th 2012 Exhibition opening: March 1 st , 6 – 8 pm Galerie Peter Kilchmann is pleased to present the third exhibition of Bernd Ribbeck. The artist was born in Cologne in 1974 and lives and works in Berlin. Ribbeck studied at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, the Akademie der bildenden Künste, Munich, and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Helmut Federle from 1995 to 2003. In the past, Bernd Ribbeck has created complex geometric paintings. Now for the first time the artist presents a series of several smaller and some larger paintings on MDF boards, with which he followed the idea of symmetry even more consequently than ever. Ribbeck used the number zero as his measuring unit to construct his images. The smaller canvases (each 37 x 30 cm), grouped in a block, show freestanding circles painted with acrylic and pigment marker on upright backgrounds (see invitation card). In the case of the larger paintings the circle fills out the quadratic format entirely (each 70 x 70 cm). Bernd Ribbeck finds the circle interesting because it is first and foremost a simple geometric figure, but it can also be understood as a symbol and a form filled with content. When trying to understand the figure of the circle, one quickly realizes how complex its nature is. In mathematics, a circle is defined as the sum of all points on a plane with the same distance from a given center. Following this description, a circle is a curve and not a plane. Circles are similar to each other in nature. Since circumference and diameter are fixed, their quotient is described as the mathematical constant π. The number π (or Pi) is also called a transcendental number. In different spiritual doctrines the circle signifies eternity and completeness. In dream interpretation it is a symbol for ʻconcentrated mental energyʼ. According to Persian lore, oneʼ s biggest dreams will come true if one encounters a circle. However, this does not apply to crop circles. For a long time English farmers were sure that the circles in their cornfields were ʻvicious circlesʼ , drawn by the devil. The history of the circle can be traced ever further. Bernd Ribbeck, however, is not necessarily interested in the shape itself. He is primarily attracted to the simultaneity between a concrete form and an icon. The concentration on this one motif and its repeated examination in painting enables the artist to stay process-oriented in his work. Each completed painting acts as an answer, while simultaneously raising new questions, calling for more investigations. The promise of cognition and a utopian moment resonate in the paintings. Bernd Ribbeck has been involved in numerous international exhibitions. Among others he participated in the group exhibitions “Cosmos Rudolf Steiner” in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart (with catalog) and “oder so: Malerei, konkret, abstrakt“ in the Overbeck-Gesellschaft in Luebeck in 2011. A catalog was published on behalf of the exhibition “Ich und Du” in the Oldenburger Kunstverein in 2010 and can be obtained through the gallery. In June 2012 Bernd Ribbeck will participate in the exhibition “Made in Germany – Two. International Art in Germany” in the Kestnergesellschaft in Hannover. BRUNO JAKOB Unusual Things Happen March 2 nd to April 14th , 2012 Exhibition opening: March 1 st , 6 – 8 pm Galerie Peter Kilchmann is honored to announce the new single exhibition of Bruno Jakob. After studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule Basel and Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, the Swiss artist (*1954) relocated to New York in the 1980s. In 2011 Bruno Jakob was invited to participate in the 54. Venice Biennial, where he exhibited two installations at the Arsenale and in the Main Pavilion (see invitation card). Now Bruno Jakob presents a fascinating continuation of his installation Breath (2010-2011), as well as the new three-dimensional and free hanging artwork Breath, Time Suspended, Forever Interrupted (Weisses Lächeln) (2011) in the two rooms at the far end of the gallery. A highlight is the installation of his newest series Unusual Things Happen (2012), which consists of a combination of five open and rolled canvases (each 80 x 80 cm). There is a long art historical tradition of empty paintings and monochrome canvases, and it would be easy to view the works of Bruno Jakob as the heritage of constructivism or concept art. Such a classification would however fall short of the works of this artist. Regardless of the supposed blankness on his canvases, Jakob ʼ s art is all about sensuality. Here, one is not asked to understand, but rather to sense the artworks. In contradiction to concept art Bruno Jakob works on his paintings in a very traditional manner. He uses paintbrushes, thoughts, and steam to draw on canvases, paper, and walls. He is interested in pinning down thoughts and impressions. The pictures remain empty to our eyes only because Bruno Jakob uses energy, brainwaves or love instead of pigments. A historical analogy and connection might be made with the composition 4ʼ33ʼʼ (1952) from John Cage, as Roman Kurzmeyer pointed out in an essay from 2007. With 4ʼ33ʼʼ the American painter and composer John Cage created a score that instructs the performing musicians to remain still for the duration of the recital. Suddenly concertgoers can hear the concert itself – the sounds of the persons they are sitting next to, a stifled cough from the back rows, the buzzing of the ventilators. Chance and coincidence play an important part in this composition. Bruno Jakob understands painting similarly to how John Cage perceived music. The artworks of Bruno Jakob can thus be described as vessels, waiting to be filled individually by each viewer. A personal visual experience is central. The artist only provides subtle hints, giving us the titles of the works and the descriptions of material and technique. However, which picture becomes visible based on these declarations remains ambiguous. The outcome is inconceivable. Unusual things might happen. You may chuckle. Apart from the 54 th Biennial of Venice Bruno Jakob exhibited in Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, as part of the group show “Example Switzerland” and in museum Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich, as part of the show “The fantastic four – Zurich concrete” in 2011. Bruno Jakob also participated the group show “Greater New York” in the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, in 2010. A catalog, published on the occasion of his solo exhibition in Kunsthaus Langenthal, can be obtained through the gallery. In 2012 Bruno Jakob will participate in the exhibition “Monochrome” in the art space SALTS, Basel, and show works at the Kunstmuseum Luzern. |
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