March 11th — June 16th, 2022
Klaus Fritze, Michelle Grabner, Alex Grein, Sabrina Jung, Timo Kube, Mike Meiré, Ulrike Rosenbach, Ludwig Philipp Strack (1761 - 1836), Raphael Weilguni, Noa Yekutieli
Introduction
Prof. Rainer Schäfer from the International Centre for Philosophy NRW / Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn / March 10th at 7pm
The idyll has lived in our idealizing imagination as a place of harmonious, peaceful and mostly rural life since ancient times. And especially after the first turbulent months of the pandemic were supposedly over, a relaxed sigh of relief was initially noticeable: finally being able to relax, go hiking, spend time with the family, be able to individually organize one's daily routine in the home office... The retreat into the private sphere, to the countryside and to the family could be observed in many places.
But what has also always distinguished the idyll is its obviously fantastic origin - completely detached from all environmental factors, it exists like a self-sufficient gem in our imagination. The idyll has never been realistic and has therefore gradually receded into the background as an artistic genre with the turn towards the depiction of reality.
The group exhibition at the gallery presents artistic positions that question our contemporary idylls. How often is the idyll only an escape from reality or seemingly existent?
Ludwig Philipp Strack (1761-1836), Hirten und Vieh in Syrakus mit der alten Stadtmauer, 1808; Courtesy GALERIE NEUSE, Bremen