Between the Familiar and the Unfamiliar: Visual Worlds by Christoph Pauschenwein

For over 20 years, the VOLTA Basel art fair has been regarded as an outstanding platform for groundbreaking art. This year, from June 17 to 21, 78 galleries from 26 countries will participate. With a new section, the fair is solidifying its well-known pioneering role: In FRISCHE!, 10 young galleries will present themselves with innovative and experimental curatorial approaches. One of these galleries is Apanage from Berlin, which was founded as recently as 2025. It offers unique artistic positions an international reach and integrates them into contemporary contexts; for example, digital works are exhibited on public advertising screens.

Apanage is the only German gallery in this section: In the Space Between brings together works from Planets and Monsters, two well-known series by artist Christoph Pauschenwein, who has previously participated in events such as the International Contemporary Art Fair Paris, Aqua Art Miami, and Artexpo New York. His digital works are created through elaborate processes without the use of AI. His Planets are organic structures in which natural and unnatural characteristics merge, thereby raising questions about physical and digital realities. In the visually related series Monsters, the artist explores the convergence of the unknown and the familiar: the alien creatures serve as sympathetic cultural mediators.

Pauschenwein’s works are presented in four different media: in custom-made LED light boxes, as prints on aluminum and textiles, and using E-Ink display technology in collaboration with AELIG. This technique, which emphasizes the material dimension of digital works, is being presented for the first time at VOLTA Basel.