For Market Art Fair 2024 von Bartha welcomes visitors with works by German/Danish artist Ursula Reuter Christiansen (b. 1943) and German artist Imi Knoebel (b. 1940).
The two artists studied together under Joseph Beuys at the art academy in Düsseldorf. Despite sharing an academic starting point, Reuter Christiansen and Knoebel have developed their respective practices in separate directions, presenting dramatically different oeuvres, each in their own way securing them both an essential position within contemporary art history. For Knoebel this is evident in his radically experimental way of working, investigating the fundamentals of painting through seriality and explorations of color, geometric shapes and material simplicity. Reuter Christiansen is considered to be among the most influential Danish artists of the postwar era. Her artistic practice is heavely influenced by her involvement in the feminist movement and incorporates various media, including painting, film, performance and sculpture. The disparity between the two artist and their respective prominence make for a fruitful and fascinating dialogue between the works shown at Liljevalchs, where Knoebel’s purist minimalism meets the loud expressiveness and figuration of Reuter Christiansen.

Header image:
Imi Knoebel
Basel Fenster 11 Ed. (Entwurf Nr. 12 von 12), 2020
Acrylic on plastic foil, painted
101.4 x 161.6 x 4.5 cm
Ed. of 7/7 + 2 AP + 1