Gropius Bau

"Painting Space" brings together a variety of contemporary artists exploring the materiality of painting and its relationship with space. Existing works sit alongside new commissions created especially for this show, inviting visitors to experience painting both visually and physically.

Although abstract and performance art have challenged the Western tradition of painting and devised new forms, the concept is still associated with paint on canvas. What happens when paint escapes the canvas and occupies entire spaces or objects? Many of the artists featured in the exhibition respond to this question by deconstructing painting into separate components, reducing it to minimal elements, turning it into a spatial experience, experimenting with surface and paint, and ultimately dissolving the boundaries between painting, installation and sculpture. The exhibition encourages visitors to step “inside the picture” and discover new perspectives on the Gropius Bau’s architecture.