Freshly Prepared

Wafer-thin, slightly translucent, and tender — this is how we like cold cuts, and it’s also how Thomas Müllenbach’s work presents itself. Yet, as is often the case in his art, things are not as straightforward as they first appear. His paintings, drawings, and watercolors depict an understated reality: deserted everyday spaces, work environments, and occasionally, anecdotal figures. Through decades of intense observation, Müllenbach has honed a sharp eye that imbues the ordinary with meaning.

Interiors play a central role in his work: control rooms, sterile corridors, and technologically precise workplaces. Müllenbach focuses on structures and details, while his matter-of-fact titles leave room for interpretation. He relies on the viewer to uncover layers of meaning, activating both cultural and personal visual memories.

His watercolors, painted on parachute silk or Trevira, create unique pictorial realities. Works likeTUBES (2023) and LÜFTUNG (2022) depict hazy spaces with shadowy accents that, despite their delicate materiality, seem alive. These paintings practically pulse with energy, presenting a rich and sensual visual experience. Other watercolors delve into thematic elements. For example, the ITER 1–6 (2024) explores different views of a nuclear fusion reactor, where shifting color accents make the compositions intriguingly ambiguous.

Müllenbach is drawn to the “unfamiliar within the familiar.” Cropped motifs, unusual perspectives, vivid colors, and fragmented visual cues create a tension between clarity and uncertainty. In figurative works like WOKE 1–4 (2024), he doesn’t depict people but rather emotions and attitudes. This series offers open-ended templates for viewers to project their own feelings, inviting introspection and personal interpretation.

Artist Talk: Irene Müller and Thomas Müllenbach
Saturday, 25 January 2025, 2 pm

Finissage
Saturday, 8 February 2025, from 2 – 4 pm