Reviews in Brief | BERLIN

Eva Kotatkova

Schinkel Pavillon // May 31–July 20

The Czech artist designed a round black stage where she places whimsical, oversized objects. Somehow recognizable as musical instruments, they only come to life by human interaction, which in this case is through a series of performances. With typewritten texts, found objects and photos, a focus on the interaction between the body and the world, collages and performance, the Dada influence is omnipresent. Kotatkova creates a show that is both nostalgic and critical towards external influences that confine the individual: a corset made by society, art, school, and family. 

Wytske van Keulen

Kominek Gallery // May 24–June 14

At this small gallery specializing in photography the slide installation, photos and new book from Dutch artist Van Keulen tells the story of two mavericks. For several years Van Keulen observed and portrayed her two protagonists in their houses in the deserted landscape of the French Pyrenees: the Flemish-born Saskia and the Spanish widower Andrez. Although the two never met, they seem alike in their solitude. In Andrez’s house all clocks and alarms are covered with upside-down glasses, protecting them from dust and passing time.

Tim Eitel 

Eigen+Art // April 24–June 5

On the lefthand side of the painting, a figure stands in a dark, misty landscape; on the right is a pure black surface. Brouillard, 2013, is a central piece in the exhibition and in the new works of German artist Tim Eitel. The paintings are more abstract and the narrative is less obvious than his previous works. Eitel is an artist from the famous New Leipzig School that offers a new urgency for painting in contemporary art. 

Published in Modern Painters #September 2014