Loock

Michael Kalmbach / Stephan Melzl

02 May - 06 Jun 2009

Installation view
MICHAEL KALMBACH AND STEPHAN MELZL

May 2nd - June 6th 2009

Michael Kalmbach and Stephan Melzl have been friends since they were students, and the one has always accompanied and treasured the work of the other. At Loock Galerie, they present their work together for the first time since a 1986 exhibition in Frankfurt. Michael Kalmbach will be showing his largest sculpture to date, Zugspitze. Six meters tall, the sculpture will dominate the central space of the gallery. Melzl will be showing six of his small format paintings in the second space of the gallery.


In the publication '7. Glied' Stephanie Heraeus writes on the work of Michael Kalmbach: “With his drastic figural vocabulary, which is sometimes only revealed on closer inspection, supposedly idyllic scenes of family and childhood are broken up by an extreme physicality and overbearing sexuality. Over the course of the past fifteen years his works have altered: they have become more fragile, gentle, and often seem like the ephemeral visions of dreams or imaginary tableaux. The transparent colours of his frequently monumental, sweeping watercolour drawings give them the impression of weightlessness. Some of his paper-mâché sculptures float like mobiles, while others are like marionettes in space.” The sculptural group MOBILE, currently on view at Sammlung Kolumba in Cologne, was the first paper-mâché work Michael Kalmbach presented at Wohnmaschine in 2002. Part of this floating group is a small boy, a stream pouring out of his mouth. In his new work ZUGSPITZE, created especially for the hall of Loock Galerie, this motif is executed in a freestanding version of six meters height.
 

Tags: Michael Kalmbach, Stephan Melzl