CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI & ANGELIKA MARKUL
10 Nov 2007 - 26 Jan 2008
CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI & ANGELIKA MARKUL
"Monuments Noirs" & "La Clarté Souterraine"
A quiet landscape of black cubes at breast height in Christian Boltanski's central installation in the Kewenig Galerie draws the view from its smooth and black surface into their inside. Black and white portraits of deceased which refer to Swiss funeral notices are resting there. Prepared so similar to a shrine, a solemn atmosphere of a cemetry is created in the show room which softly reminds us of the transitoriness of life.
Besides Christian Boltanski is showing new paintings. Photos out of German family albums, which are painted over almost past recognition hardly allow to divine the scenes from World War II. Leant against the walls head-high the view onto the memorabilia is blocked by gesturous, black overpainting. This creates curiosity all the more of what is hidden behind the dark surface.
The Polish artist Angelika Markul (born in 1977 and living in France), who has studied with Christian Boltanski at Paris, builds in the gallery's arch cellar an achitecture of black covered frames which seem to be piled accidentally. With the help of light and air coming out of fans, they are orchestrated like an abandoned stage scenery. Captured by the mysterious atmosphere, associations of narrated situations and own experiences are being aroused without being narrowed by allegations of meanings.
In the back part of the cellar recent videos show Markul's interest in phenomena of flora and fauna. Captured cinematically the artist presents the bloodthirsty handling of killed tunnies in a Japanese fish hall. The work of Markul, influenced by the nature and biographical experiences, touches multifariously the imagination of the beholder and appears at the same time partly poetic and partly threatening.
For further information, reproducible illustrations and interview appointments please contact the gallery by e-mail: info@kewenig.com or by phone: +49-221-964 9050. Opening hours of the gallery are Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.
"Monuments Noirs" & "La Clarté Souterraine"
A quiet landscape of black cubes at breast height in Christian Boltanski's central installation in the Kewenig Galerie draws the view from its smooth and black surface into their inside. Black and white portraits of deceased which refer to Swiss funeral notices are resting there. Prepared so similar to a shrine, a solemn atmosphere of a cemetry is created in the show room which softly reminds us of the transitoriness of life.
Besides Christian Boltanski is showing new paintings. Photos out of German family albums, which are painted over almost past recognition hardly allow to divine the scenes from World War II. Leant against the walls head-high the view onto the memorabilia is blocked by gesturous, black overpainting. This creates curiosity all the more of what is hidden behind the dark surface.
The Polish artist Angelika Markul (born in 1977 and living in France), who has studied with Christian Boltanski at Paris, builds in the gallery's arch cellar an achitecture of black covered frames which seem to be piled accidentally. With the help of light and air coming out of fans, they are orchestrated like an abandoned stage scenery. Captured by the mysterious atmosphere, associations of narrated situations and own experiences are being aroused without being narrowed by allegations of meanings.
In the back part of the cellar recent videos show Markul's interest in phenomena of flora and fauna. Captured cinematically the artist presents the bloodthirsty handling of killed tunnies in a Japanese fish hall. The work of Markul, influenced by the nature and biographical experiences, touches multifariously the imagination of the beholder and appears at the same time partly poetic and partly threatening.
For further information, reproducible illustrations and interview appointments please contact the gallery by e-mail: info@kewenig.com or by phone: +49-221-964 9050. Opening hours of the gallery are Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.