With the exhibition Hanns Kunitzberger: Likeness 2002-2005, the Hamburger Kunsthalle is presenting the multi-part work of the same name by the Austrian artist. The multi-layered, abstract paintings have a magnetic effect on viewers. The exhibition opens on November 29.
Paintings that bind time: Hanns Kunitzberger's large-format paintings are created in lengthy processes with multiple overpainting, so that countless layers of paint shine through on the image carrier. They are nebulous, not entirely tangible, yet clearly perceptible. Kunitzberger captures traces of a period of time in his works. Likeness 2002-2005 is an expansive, multi-part work that seems to surround the viewer and draw them in. When viewed over a longer period of time, it is as if you are stepping into a colorful, meditative cloud that makes you forget reality and the passage of time. The Hamburger Kunsthalle is dedicating a separate exhibition to this monumental series of works: Hanns Kunitzberger: Likeness 2002-2005 can be seen there from November 29, 2024 to April 27, 2025.
The Austrian Hanns Kunitzberger (*1955) initially studied theater and film directing before devoting himself entirely to painting since 1991. He lives and works in Berlin. In his works, he explores the relationship between space and image. The mists of color in his paintings, which are always unframed, unfold beyond the picture support and change the perception of their surroundings. Kunitzberger often paints on nettle cloth, a fabric with a long tradition that is also called mollino in Austria. Originally woven from nettle fibers, the fabric was widely used in Europe long before cotton was introduced to the continent in the 14th century. It was also used for ships' sails in the Middle Ages and today is mainly used as a backdrop for theater backdrops because it is hard-wearing and easy to paint. The traces of time can also be seen in Kunitzberger's choice of material, which lends his art a universal and original character.
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