ANDREAS NANN

The Cologne-based artist plays with recognizability and unrecognizability, guiding our attempts to decipher the works through the titles. In the “Estoril” series, the distinctive shape of the Formula 1 circuit in Portugal can be glimpsed from an aerial perspective against an abstract-expressionist painted background.

“Neuschwanstein Castle” is also well hidden in the works of the same name. The fairytale castle, built between 1869 and 1892 on the orders of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, does not form the center of the image but is rather the starting point or concept. Similar to Andy Warhol, who immersed the romantic setting in surreal colors in a screen print, Nann draws inspiration from this architectural icon. In one example, he places it within a glaring yellow color field interrupted by blue, black, and red accents. Only once we have identified the building, rendered as a drawing in the lower left quarter of the image, do we perhaps interpret the orange lines higher up as the silhouette of mountains.

In “Neuschwanstein Castle 2,” dominated by a soft lilac tone, we may think we recognize a mountain lake in the yellow area. Or does it remain simply a virtuoso composition of different painting and drawing techniques in dark purple, blood red, and black?Nann’s paintings offer possibilities whose realization he leaves up to us. He playfully toys with leading us toward an interpretation, simplifying, removing, and obscuring.His painting is characterized by the bold use of color and a strong sense of dynamism. He experiments with translucent layers of paint, overpainting, the forceful use of broad brushes, and drawn elements—always using fast-drying acrylic paint so that he can see the results immediately.

The mostly large-format works in the exhibition were created between January and June 2026. Compared with his earlier works, they appear more gestural, less directional, and less representational. Some paintings radiate spontaneity, humor, and lightness. Others display a richly interwoven structure, created by several underlying layers and the tactile quality produced by the high density of color. What they all have in common is that they suggest a certain reference while nevertheless remaining mysterious.

Cordula Walter