A. R. Penck
17 Aug 2010 - 28 Aug 2011
A. R. PENCK
Vergangenheit-Gegenwart-Zukunft
17 August, 2010 – 28 August, 2011
On show again for the first time in a long while: Penck's vision of life in the West
Centre stage is a work that Penck painted non-stop in 35 hours. This was prompted by the legendary overview exhibition "von hier aus" which took place in 1984 in Düsseldorf. After-wards it arrived at Museum Ludwig, where it could only rarely be shown on account of its size, which is all of six metres by twelve. Ich in Deutschland (West) [me in Germany (West)] is the name of this monument from the period shortly after the artist moved to West Ger-many. "I'd been spat out by the East but not yet gobbled up by the West", as he wrote at the time. But the piece is not simply about a society, it's about a whole culture and existing in it, about sex and power, politics and church, life and death - aspects that he joins up with great daring.
It is accompanied by four paintings (Standart - Prä - Standart) [Standard - Pre - Standard] from the nineties and ten less-known felt sculptures from the eighties. The later are con-ceived of as science-fiction machines, yet they don't look at all angular or technological, but soft and round instead. Penck has remained true to himself, his reduction does not constrain anything but follows the gaze of the feeling, suffering, joyous person who is beyond all ideol-ogy.
Vergangenheit-Gegenwart-Zukunft
17 August, 2010 – 28 August, 2011
On show again for the first time in a long while: Penck's vision of life in the West
Centre stage is a work that Penck painted non-stop in 35 hours. This was prompted by the legendary overview exhibition "von hier aus" which took place in 1984 in Düsseldorf. After-wards it arrived at Museum Ludwig, where it could only rarely be shown on account of its size, which is all of six metres by twelve. Ich in Deutschland (West) [me in Germany (West)] is the name of this monument from the period shortly after the artist moved to West Ger-many. "I'd been spat out by the East but not yet gobbled up by the West", as he wrote at the time. But the piece is not simply about a society, it's about a whole culture and existing in it, about sex and power, politics and church, life and death - aspects that he joins up with great daring.
It is accompanied by four paintings (Standart - Prä - Standart) [Standard - Pre - Standard] from the nineties and ten less-known felt sculptures from the eighties. The later are con-ceived of as science-fiction machines, yet they don't look at all angular or technological, but soft and round instead. Penck has remained true to himself, his reduction does not constrain anything but follows the gaze of the feeling, suffering, joyous person who is beyond all ideol-ogy.