Bildfindung - Finding the Image

Bildfindung, translated as „composition“ but literally meaning „finding the image“ is the key component of artistic creation. It is as old as art itself, from the cave paintings of Altamira and Lascaux to today it has occupied artists and viewers, served as connection and divider at the same time.

Whether it is abstraction or figuration, drawing, painting or sculpture: the period since 1950 is one of enormous variations and heterogeneity in artistic creation. Some artists, such as Albers or Hartung, concentrate on one area of exploration, such as color, line, or a compositional conceit whose variations and combinations are then examined in depth. Others, like Polke, Richter and Rauschenberg time and again delve into new series of works. They switch from figuration to abstraction, from canvas to sculpture or relief, incorporate randomness and intention in order to draw creative energies from the unforeseen challenges they encounter. Others again, such as Tillmans, will take their existing medium and manipulate its output, thereby subverting established expectations.

In the end something almost archaic remains: The artist and his work, created through confrontation or contemplation. This exhibition aims to provide a small window into the wide array of artistic responses.