Andreas Slominski Pastellblau, 2023

Andreas Slominski’s works represent some of the most extraordinary contributions to German contemporary art. Since his beginnings, the artist unfailingly sought a direct dialogue with the viewer, probing ideas about art and its reception. Slominski’s enticing artworks often lure viewers into a sense of being caught or found out. His so-called traps have been an integral part of his practice since the mid-1980s and can be interpreted as comments on the deceptive, as well as the seductive, effects of art. This is illustrated in the work Pastellblau (2023), which shows the inside view of a pastel-coloured garage gate, evoking the impression of a possible escape into a hidden world behind the artwork. This insinuated exit is closed, however, and the viewer remains trapped in the here and now.