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CHRISTIAN HELLMICH
THE INN

09/06/16 - 29/07/16
Opening Thursday, 09/06/16, 7PM

THE INN is the title of Christian Hellmich's third solo exhibition at Tanja Pol Galerie with nine paintings from 2014 to 2016. The inn in the sense of tavern, bar, or pub: fitting for Munich, but why the English word? “The Inn” evokes certain collective images that have a somewhat different connotation in Germany. Comfort, a stop for refreshments, rest, with Anglophile flair or a dive, hippies, hanging out, “counterculture.”

Quite generally, The Inn for Hellmich is a utopia, an idealized site of coming together. Ideal, but by no means perfect. This can be transferred to the gallery as a social site, but also to the closed artist’s studio, in which one makes oneself at home, where certain codes and rules dominate. Painting can be viewed as an idealist or idealizing space, in which everybody can make themselves at home, looking and thinking for themselves. Hellmich’s paintings make suggestions to the beholder, suggestions that are made by the titles as well, that do not refer to anything, and generally do not help us to “recognize” anything.

Christian Hellmich’s works are painted in numerous layers, they often seem “constructed,” and in their reception reference is often made to “architecture” or things “architectural.” Hellmich is interested not in architecture on its own, but this doesn’t mean that architectural elements do not appear in several paintings or can define the picture, as in the painting Inn. Hellmich constructs visual spaces to deconstruct them at the same time, he alludes to something to then cross it out in the very same moment, providing painterly visions that refuse to be named.

Architecture can be a tried and true method to bring whatever drives the artist to paint to a form or a status quo. The beholder thinks he can recognize something, seeks points of anchorage, objects, combining titles and what has been seen. But the fact remains: painting in the end remains always abstract.

Christian Hellmich was born 1977 in Düsseldorf, attended Folkwangschule Essen, and lives and works in Berlin. His works are on display in the permanent collection at Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal, Germany, and are included in numerous international collections.The show THE INN ends Friday, 29 July, 2016.During August the gallery is open by appointment.

On 9 September, 2016 we will be opening the season with the show
Veron Urdarianu
Nurses and Singles.