In dialogue with nature: The art of Anna and Bernhard Blume in Krems

In dialogue with nature: The art of Anna and Bernhard Blume in Krems

In the Kunsthalle Krems, an impressive retrospective of the German artist couple Anna and Bernhard Blume is currently being shown, which will be shown until March 16, 2025. This exhibition is dedicated to its fascinating artistic work and takes visitors on a visual journey through their humorous and often subversive works. The Blumes, who met in the 1980s at the Düsseldorf state art academy, combined art with everyday life and questioned social norms in their work.

The exhibition shows impressive photographs that were taken between 1985 and 1991, including the series “Im Wald”, in which the two can be seen in various humorous, staged poses under trees. These large -format work, which are two meters high, impressively express the peculiarities of the couple and their creative partnership. The flower often use the camera to capture the petty -bourgeois world and its absurdities.

multi -layered perspectives and art criticism

One of the central topics in the work of Anna and Bernhard Blume is the examination of gender roles and the criticism of male dominance in the art world. Anna Blume particularly reveals in her series "The Pure Sensation" how women are often reduced in art and society. These work provide photo -realistic drawings of female bodies in contrast to art -theoretical positions of important artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian.

In the series "Meal" that was created during the 1980s, viewers Anna and Bernhard see scenes in unusual and sometimes grotesque scenes. Portraits show how you interact with food and everyday situations in a humorous way - a clear sign of your ability to combine seriousness with wit. In “Küchenkoller”, for example, Anna juggles with potatoes, which is both a playful element and a slightly critical speech on everyday housewife life.

From analogous to digital photography

The exhibition also spans the bow to develop photography within the artistic work of the flower. Later, after the turn of the millennium, the turn to digital photography goes hand in hand with a further examination of abstract art. The work of the “Refugee Suprematist” series shows how the couple directs their work into new directions and integrates modern technologies into their artistic concepts.

The exhibition in Krems also offers space for the works of Gabriele Engelhardt, who created impressive photo work about recycling materials and their use in today's art during their stay in the 2022 region. In a subversive approach, her work addresses the materiality of art and at the same time offers new perspectives on what can be considered a "mountain picture" within the anthropocene. Engelhardt goes beyond the common representations and integrates a critical view of the current ecological consciousness into visual art.