Georg Baselitz Baselitz / Oehlen

Opening: Sunday 25 September 2016, 11am.

The joint exhibition of Georg Baselitz (*1938) and Albert Oehlen (*1954) is an absolute premiere.

However, it is not just a mere encounter of two internationally most renown and most influential painters. In fact, Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen have decided with as much delight as boldness to have an immediate dialogue instead. And now they are both presenting works of their latest series.

On view are 12 large-scale paintings, mostly created for the Kunstverein, six by Georg Baselitz and six by Albert Oehlen. Whereby, the exhibition offers the unique opportunity to experience the visual exchange between two artistic personalities and to participate in their cross-generational contest, examination, and unrelenting renewal of painting.

The catalogue accompanying the exhibition includes an extensive and intimate conversation in which Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen discuss their beginnings, freedom and solitude, the possibility of painting amidst past and present as well as their individual positions and unexpected similarities.

 »When I saw your new paintings for the first time, I thought, ›oh, my‹, what is that now? All your models, your handwriting is in there and that is essential. One clearly sees what defines you, no matter what you were up to throughout the years, there are certain formulations and forms you are recognised by.«

Georg Baselitz

»There is a direct relation between the ›turnaround‹ and your recent paintings, the super simple approach towards abstraction. Thus, in a painting, what does meaning ›mean‹? How much meaning do you accept? How much do you want to read in what is represented or how much do you want to avoid? And I believe this brings us together now.«

Albert Oehlen