enter the void | christine schuhbeck

In the organizer's words:

spazio, an innovative platform that enables creators from multidisciplinary fields, is delighted to announce the upcoming solo exhibition of Christine Schuhbeck. The exhibition will be on view from June 6 to June 13, 2024, with an exclusive opening reception on Thursday, June 6, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. "Enter the Void" presents an immersive journey into the artist's creative mind. Schuhbeck's work can be characterized by a dedication to excellence in technique and profound engagement with form and materiality. The exhibition presents the artist's exploration into a variety of mediums and techniques, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and engage with the subtle nuances of each composition. Displaying minimal and abstract forms in monochromatic compositions, Schuhbeck focuses on simplicity and purity, while exploring light and texture. The depths of black and the absence of color are a recurring focus across several mediums. Intricate gravure prints feature rich and sensual, velvety blacks achieved through the ancient, Mezzotint technique. These prints serve as a backdrop for overpainting, collaging, and embossing, creating a dynamic interplay of form and texture. In the "Blacked-Out Newspaper" series, initiated in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Schuhbeck transforms daily newspapers into deeply personal and meditative works. Through meticulous blackening and mark-making on the front page of the daily newspaper, Schuhbeck enters a ritual to restore inner peace and sense of self. The works convey a powerful message of silent empathy, solidarity and reflection in response to the impact of information overload on one's emotions and psychology.

The exhibition also showcases the artist's latest approach in transforming figurative photography into abstract aquatints. In a painstaking process requiring immense technical precision, the core image is deconstructed into its essential shapes and tones. An intimate embrace, for example, is fragmented into abstract forms which combined evoke the visceral emotionality of the underlying figurative composition. Finally, the exhibition provides a first glimpse into Schuhbeck's sketches. A departure from the artist's predominantly black and white oeuvre, Schuhbeck's ongoing sketches explore colors and new techniques in a liberating and playful manner, in a process of experimentation and creative freedom. Unlike the artist's prints, where one stroke of color or pressure can alter the work or cause an irreversible mistake, the sketches allow the artist to let go entirely and process with immediacy. "We are thrilled to showcase the extraordinary talent of Christine Schuhbeck at spazio," said Julian Marino Botti, founder of spazio. "Her meticulous attention to detail, mastery of technique, and emotional depth evident in her work demonstrate a truly exceptional artistic voice. We believe her exploration across diverse mediums will captivate and provoke thought among our audience." For the first time, live printing will be held during the vernissage. A limited editions of small prints will be produced in collaboration with "And Arte Coffee" and will be offered exclusively to the audience in attendance.

spazio would like to thank the support of Suzana Diamond-Roever and her contribution to the curation, editorial and production of the exhibition.

Price information:

Free admission