From Natural Details to Planets

It promises to be a memorable edition of the Hamptons Fine Art Fair: With a comprehensive lineup of themed booths, the fair is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. From July 9 through 12 in Southampton, New York, over 130 international galleries and around 500 artists will present art of the highest caliber. The booth of the Swiss gallery Van Leeuwen Art features works from Christoph Pauschenwein’s Planets series. Drawing on his deep fascination with nature, Pauschenwein creates his unusual celestial bodies, which appear like gateways to other dimensions—both alien and familiar at the same time. They combine natural and unnatural characteristics and patterns of movement, and through their mysterious appearance, they raise questions about reality and illusion, as well as the digital and the analog.

Christoph Pauschenwein, who worked for many years as a graphic designer, contrasts the infinite creative possibilities of digital and analog art in his work. These works prompt reflection on the complex relationships between nature, humanity, and technology. Starting with naturalistic oil and acrylic paintings, the artist develops further analog and digital visual worlds, extending all the way to abstraction. He places particular importance on humanity as a creative force and on craftsmanship, which is why he refrains from using AI when creating digital artworks such as *Planets* or the thematically linked series Monsters and City of Stripes. »Through my art, I want to draw attention to what is essential—the power of nature, the depth of our emotions, and the sensuality of the moment. Through my works, I encourage people to find balance in their lives by navigating the complexities of the modern world with mindfulness and purpose«, says Pauschenwein, describing his creative process.