Cornelius Völker. The First and the Last
Völker depicts everyday objects with great ease, transforming them into charged images that convey subtle ambiguity. By incorporating motifs that initially seem to thwart his artistic process, he links his painting with other elements. His figures appear unambiguous and clearly recognisable at first glance, yet they cannot be separated from their painterly imagery. The motifs in Cornelius Völker’s paintings remain credible representations of themselves yet simultaneously dissolve into an ambiguous metaphor for the abstract process of painting. The paintings are both representational and abstract.
Viewing his works involves an exciting interplay between object and colour. Due to the partial independence of colour, it is virtually impossible to determine whether the colour represents the object or is the object of the painting. In this way, Cornelius Völker transforms his motifs into self-reflective paintings, taking the risk of making the image available once again as a painterly act.
We are presenting the new paintings in the exhibition “Cornelius Völker: The First and the Last, address the duality of nature and artificiality, transparency and reflection. They are further proof of the powerful presence, complexity, sophistication and clarity that characterise Cornelius Völker’s paintings.
Born in 1965, Cornelius Völker studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under A.R. Penck and Dieter Krieg. Since 2005, he has held a professorship at the Münster Art Academy, and since 2018 he has been a member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
The Bildlabor Kleistpark project visits the Galerie Friese in Munich for Various Others
The Bildlabor Kleistpark project puts the changing concept of museums to the test. A new building is being constructed near Schöneberg’s Kleistpark as an interdisciplinary meeting place, due for completion in 2027. The lower floors of the Bildlabor will be used to collect and display images, while the upper floors will provide open spaces for image technology services.
Exhibiting art at Bildlabor Kleistpark involves viewing objects, comparing them with one another and discovering unexpected connections, as can be seen with the pieces on display from the extensive Hegenbarth Collection Berlin holdings, which will be incorporated into Bildlabor Kleistpark upon its relocation. On closer inspection, the printed tapestry by Anna Slobodnik (born 1990) and the textile-like pencil drawings by Corinne Laroche (born 1956) and Malte Spohr (born 1958) captivate the viewer with their sophisticated systematics and sensuality. Juxtaposed with the woven carpet from southwestern Iran (early 20th century), these contemporary pieces engage in a stimulating dialogue about the craftsmanship, impact, and significance of woven symbols and drawn patterns.
