Galleri Nicolai Wallner is pleased to present LIGEGYLDIGT HVORHEN, BLOT UDENFOR VERDEN, an exhibition of paintings by Gerda Scheepers, Jessica Warboys, Magnus Andersen, Sylvester Hegner and Waldemar Zimbelmann, curated by Alexander Tovborg.

The title of the exhibition, in English ‘Anywhere Out of the World’ comes from a poem by 19^th century poet Charles Baudelaire, and speaks of the author’s desire for his soul to reside beyond the physical. In essence, this is what groups the works in this exhibition. Through varied materials and practices, all of the artists presented have in common this shared trajectory towards the metaphysical—the importance lies in the emotional space they create through their work, both through practice and imagery. Thus the act of painting takes on an almost romantic notion, as it provides the means by which we reach the beyond.

The artists exhibited are contemporaries of Alexander Tovborg, and he believes that they offer a new take on young European painting.

Gerda Scheepers (b. 1979) is known for her depictions of the human figure. The works are minimalist in nature, which accentuates the imagery presented. Painted fabrics are almost imperceptibly collaged on top of one another, giving the works an extraordinary depth. Scheepers underlines the fragility of the human condition while playing with concepts of hard and soft through her use of bold, saturated colors and delicate muslin.

Jessica Warboys (b. 1977) creates expansive paintings using pigment, canvas and the sea. By leaving canvas covered in deposits of pigment at the ocean’s edge, the water and the sand work the canvas which sets the pigment, producing random and uneven patterns. The result is an abstract and somewhat feminine kaleidoscopic feel. These works are contrasted by a third piece, which Warboys has constructed by weaving canvas around five frames. Painted a uniform color, the work has a hard, minimal quality that juxtaposes the emotional qualities of the pigment paintings.

Magnus Andersen (b. 1987) seeks to actualize at atmosphere through his works. Andersen views his work as a kind of performance, where the sensory environment that the works creates takes on a life of its own, and thus becomes just as important as the works themselves. The works are vibrant, and feature bright color fields clashing with tropical-themed foliage, physically embodying a chaotic, sensory experience.

Sylvester Hegner (b. 1985) explores the difference between figure and space on a very subtle level. Often indiscernible at first glance, shadowed images appear through layers of color. The works have a furtive quality to them, as some border on the abstract and others border on the figurative. For Hegner, the importance lies in the practice—the layers of paint are applied slowly, and it thus takes a long time for the image to either come out, or to disappear.

Waldemar Zimbelmann (b. 1984) composes expressionist portraits of people in commonplace or familial situations. Beginning with abstractions, Zimbelmann slowly draws out figures in his work. Thick layers of paint are laboriously applied, and later scratched out in places, revealing bare canvas, in order to define lines. Zimbelmann’s own background provides a point of origin for the imagery of the work—from a family of immigrants, he was born in the far east of Russia and later moved to Germany. Using old family photographs from Soviet Russia, both from his own and of others, as inspiration, Zimbelmann weaves together an intimate portrayal of human emotion.