Linus Rauch: Marea : Verena Kerfin Gallery, Köthener Strasse 28, Berlin 10963
Past
exhibition
Overview
The exhibition "Marea" by Linus Rauch invites the viewer into a subtle exploration of the unseen. The title, referencing the tides, reflects its central theme: the cyclical rhythm of ebb and flow, movement and stillness, the visible and the hidden. "Marea" speaks to a cosmic order expressed in the interplay of currents and retreat, where the apparent chaos of nature reveals itself as a precise yet elusive phenomenon.
At first glance, Linus Rauch’s paintings appear minimalist, but their restrained palette and interplay of transparency and surface open a vast field of perception. His large-scale works—often rendered in tones of black, white, and delicate grays—capture moments of stillness within an eternal flow. The glossy and reflective surfaces create a dynamic tension between materiality and the viewer, who sees themselves mirrored in the works yet is never able to fully grasp what lies before them.
The exhibition engages with the art historical tradition of monochromatic painting, drawing parallels to figures such as Yves Klein or Ad Reinhardt, who used radical reduction of color and subject to express a sense of transcendence. However, Rauch pushes this concept further: his works are neither hermetic nor closed. Instead, through their materiality and interaction with light, they open up to the space and the viewer's presence, transforming into evolving moments of perception that extend beyond the purely visual.
The presentation of these works in a minimalist setting enhances their resonance. The monochromatic surfaces seem to engage in a dialogue with the surrounding architecture, as if breathing in and exhaling the space around them. The subtle reflections of viewers in the dark planes and fleeting shadows across the lighter pieces evoke the delicate threshold between what is perceptible and what remains out of reach.
In the smaller works, another aspect of Rauch’s painting emerges: the focus shifts to texture, layering, and the tangible materiality of the surface. These pieces, reminiscent of Agnes Martin’s lyrical fragility or Gerhard Richter’s early gray paintings, suggest the temporality of the artistic process—traces of becoming and fading inscribed in every brushstroke.
"Marea" creates a space for reflection and resonance. The works encourage pause, inviting the viewer to attune themselves to the subtle rhythms that permeate the visible world. Through their poetic restraint, they connect to broader patterns, echoing the tidal movements of life itself. Rather than demanding interpretation, these paintings invite immersion—to yield to their quiet magnetism and reconsider one's own perception. A faint trace of the cosmic flows through this exhibition, a gentle reminder of precision within the indeterminate and eternity within the fleeting.
At first glance, Linus Rauch’s paintings appear minimalist, but their restrained palette and interplay of transparency and surface open a vast field of perception. His large-scale works—often rendered in tones of black, white, and delicate grays—capture moments of stillness within an eternal flow. The glossy and reflective surfaces create a dynamic tension between materiality and the viewer, who sees themselves mirrored in the works yet is never able to fully grasp what lies before them.
The exhibition engages with the art historical tradition of monochromatic painting, drawing parallels to figures such as Yves Klein or Ad Reinhardt, who used radical reduction of color and subject to express a sense of transcendence. However, Rauch pushes this concept further: his works are neither hermetic nor closed. Instead, through their materiality and interaction with light, they open up to the space and the viewer's presence, transforming into evolving moments of perception that extend beyond the purely visual.
The presentation of these works in a minimalist setting enhances their resonance. The monochromatic surfaces seem to engage in a dialogue with the surrounding architecture, as if breathing in and exhaling the space around them. The subtle reflections of viewers in the dark planes and fleeting shadows across the lighter pieces evoke the delicate threshold between what is perceptible and what remains out of reach.
In the smaller works, another aspect of Rauch’s painting emerges: the focus shifts to texture, layering, and the tangible materiality of the surface. These pieces, reminiscent of Agnes Martin’s lyrical fragility or Gerhard Richter’s early gray paintings, suggest the temporality of the artistic process—traces of becoming and fading inscribed in every brushstroke.
"Marea" creates a space for reflection and resonance. The works encourage pause, inviting the viewer to attune themselves to the subtle rhythms that permeate the visible world. Through their poetic restraint, they connect to broader patterns, echoing the tidal movements of life itself. Rather than demanding interpretation, these paintings invite immersion—to yield to their quiet magnetism and reconsider one's own perception. A faint trace of the cosmic flows through this exhibition, a gentle reminder of precision within the indeterminate and eternity within the fleeting.
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