REFLECTIONS AND FLUIDITIES

The material’s processual nature, shaped by the influences of moisture, heat, and light, was a central element of Polke’s Biennale cycle. In Athanor, he engaged in material experiments with organic pigments, minerals, metals, chemicals, and synthetic substances to observe in real time the physical and chemical processes of decay, their contamination, and their transformative design language. These continue in fluid exhibition settings of contemporary art as conceptual, performative, and material-critical reflections, with the museum serving as a field of experimentation.

The public study day will explore Sigmar Polke’s Athanor from scholarly, conservation, and artistic perspectives through keynote talks, a workshop discussion, and a guided tour of the exhibition, offering a multifaceted reexamination of Polke’s artistic practice.

In five keynote presentations, Christine Adolphs, Kathrin Barutzki, Gökcan Demirkazik, Alex Grein, and Kassandra Nakas will offer insights into Polke’s artistic processes from artistic, conservation, and art-historical perspectives. They invite viewers to consider materials not as static components of a work of art, but as something changeable, reactive, and processual.

The Polke Room, featuring the lacquer paintings from the Museum Abteiberg, will serve as the venue for a workshop discussion led by Sophia Stang and Svenja Vosskamp.

The museum is hosting a guided tour of the exhibition spaces, featuring works by students from the Academy of Media Arts.