Florian Matzner

Documents the public art project in Chemnitz, Germany that examines perspectives on ecological sustainability, raises awareness of climate policy issues, and explores possible fields of practice with internationally renowned artists. Text in English and German.

Deconstructivism is understood to encompass a specific form of thought and a specific way of dealing with materials. Freiwald’s art is distinguished by its impressive manner of bringing together both sides. First, he comes to grips with the material foundation of painting, by singeing, cutting, or sawing the picture support. The remaining space is pure pictorial space and is entirely subject to the expressive quality of the planes of colour filling it. His works are thus always new ways of presenting an intriguing dialectic. They alternate between material and effect, inquiring into the relationships between the object and the phenomenal expressive force of art. The exhibition catalogue captures this lively philosophy in a sublimely aesthetic form. It shows how thought and vision overlap in Freiwald’s work to become truly visionary.

Seditiously garish paintings, watercolours, animated films, absurd journals, and extensive installations - all of these are only a small part of the practice of the young artist duo Mehmet & Kazim. Initially active in the graffiti and Hip Hop scene, both of them studied with Markus Oehlen at the Academy in Munich. Kissing Cousins is both an elaborately designed artist book and a detailed monograph on their work at the same time. Supplemented by a conversation with Florian Matzner, their pictorial strategies are shown very directly - subtly oriented toward art history, which is then promptly thrown 'out the window' again.

Das in der antiken Philosophie und Staatstheorie entwickelte Denkmodell der Vita activa et Vita contemplativa wird seit dem 14. Jahrhundert in der italienischen Staatsikonographie rezipiert und zu einem Herrscherideal erhoben. Die Funktion dieses Denkmodells als weniger politisch realisierbares denn vielmehr idealisierendes Postulat wird in der gesamten politischen Bildsprache der Renaissance eingesetzt: der neapolitanische Konig und der venezianische Doge, der Principe des kleinen Herzogtums und das papstliche Oberhaupt im Vatikan, der Kardinal aus der romischen Adelsfamilie ebenso wie der venezianische Stadtrepublikaner verwenden die Vita activa et contemplativa als bildliche Legitimation und Manifestation in ihrer jeweiligen staatsikonographischen Selbstinszenierung."