Escaping the Dichotomy

Ab van Hanegem | Christian Pilz
Escaping the Dichotomy
29 April – 1. July 2023
Opening: 28.04. as of 17:00
Open during Gallery Weekend Berlin 2023: Sat 29.04./Sun 30.4. from 12:00-18:00

Galerie Gilla Loercher is very pleased to enrich the Gallery Weekend Berlin 2023 with the exhibition "Escaping the Dichotomy". The labyrinthine element in the incredibly detailed, finely chiseled drawings by Christian Pilz and the complex architecturally constructed structures in the works of the painter Ab van Hanegem make this exhibition extremely eventful.
Encountering these two very different and at the same time obviously related formal languages in one exhibition represents an inspiring challenge for the viewer, which they are best encountered actively. They will be able to wander endlessly through the works with their eyes.
In her text about the work of the draftsman Christian Pilz, Manuela O'Connell writes: "The abundance of details challenges the viewer to take a closer look. A technical ability is evident in his work, which does not suggest that the artist works with graphite in just one degree of hardness. With his precision, he opens up millennia-old culture and history to the viewer as a varied game of order and chaos that seems to continue ad infinitum in the drawing.”
"In my more recent works," writes Ab van Hanegem, "the spatiality is no longer clearly oriented towards the traditional perspective, i.e. horizon and vanishing point, but I use the isometric perspective much more. The dimensions in my work are difficult to identify. I focus on spatiality inspired by phenomena of topology, a branch of mathematics. My most recent works are mainly expressionist, with the material playing a greater role in the process of creation, but at the same time they are also architecturally constructed. For me these 'impossible structures' represent special fields, one could call them 'thinking spaces'. Fields that you can wander through endlessly, not only with your eyes but also mentally.”
Christian Pilz created a large-format wall drawing especially for the exhibition. In addition, numerous of his recent small-format drawings will be presented. Recent works by Ab van Hanegem on paper and canvas can be discovered.

Dutch artist Ab van Hanegem (born 1960) studied at Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten St. Joost (Breda, NL) and at Rijksacademie (Amsterdam, NL). He lives and works in Amsterdam and Berlin. Ab van Hanegem was awarded the Stiftung Vordemberge-Gildewart stipend and the Charlotte Köhler award. His works have been shown in numerous institutions and galleries internationally (Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL; Drawing Center New York, US; Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, NL; Centraal Museum Utrecht, NL; Museum De Beijerd, Breda, NL; Museum Wiesbaden, D; Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, D; Kunstmuseum Heidenheim, D; Clemens Sels Museum, Neuss, D; City Hall de Paauw, Wassenaar, NL; Kunstverein Malkasten Düsseldorf, D; Kunstverein Koelnberg, Köln, D; Tekengenootschap Pictura, Dordrecht, NL; Galerie Art & Project, Slootdorp, NL; Vous etes ici, Amsterdam, NL; Galerie Gilla Lörcher, Berlin, D; among others) and at art fairs Art Cologne, Art Brussel, POSITIONS Berlin art fair, art Karlsruhe and on many more occasions. His work is part of a number of collections like KPN, Mondstudio, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Collection Sanders in Amsterdam and Bouwfonds Nederlandse Gemeenten.

The German artist Christian Pilz (born 1978 in Ascot, UK) lives and works in Berlin (D). Pilz studied at the UdK Universität der Kuenste, Berlin and was a master student of Leiko Ikemura. He has received numerous grants and prizes, including the Clara and Eduard Rosenthal grant for art, Jena (2010), the Märkisches grant, Iserlohn (2009); the grant from the Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral, Bad Ems (2016/2017); a stipend from the Stiftung Kunstfonds, Bonn (2011); a grant from the Kunststiftung NRW (2019/2020) and was honored with the Cranach grant, Lutherstadt Wittenberg in 2021.
His drawings have been shown in numerous museums, institutions and galleries: Cranach Foundation, Wittenberg (D); Art Museum Moritzburg, Halle/ Saale (D); National Museum of Art La Paz (BOL); Museo de Arte del Banco de la Republica, Bogotá (COL); Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven (D); Villa Massimo, Rome (IT); Villa Rosenthal, Jena (D); Art Museum Bonn (D); Cultural Foundation Sparkasse Unna (D); Kunsthalle Recklinghausen (D); Marta Herford, Herford (D); Städtische Galerie, Wolfsburg; Wolfsburg Art Museum (D); Guardini Foundation Gallery, Berlin (D); Kunstverein Ahlen (D).

Current / Upcoming
Galerie Gilla Lörcher @ Paper Positions Berlin art fair 2023 | 27.-30.04.2023
Ivana Klickovic | September - Oktober 2023
Capucine Vandebrouck | November - Dezember 2023