Ralph Merschmann

From 14 February to 12 April 2025, the gallery will be showing new paintings by Ralph Merschmann in a solo exhibition entitled ‘Licht aus, Tür zu’.

In his current paintings, the artist has turned to a new compositional principle that can be described in terms of architectural planning games. He structures the surface using geometric colour forms, as if they were elements from a construction kit, which come together in ever new combinations. His paintings jump back and forth between top and bottom views, sometimes reminiscent of floor plans or street maps, sometimes of cut-out house facades with doors and windows. These are either distributed symmetrically over a monochrome surface or are arranged – partly dark, partly illuminated – in free formations that contradict any structural logic.

As in earlier series of works, the painter again organises his most recent pictures successively, namely from the layering and superimposition of such modular figures to create complex, ambiguous compositions. Sometimes the surfaces painted with lacquer colours appear like glued-on, reflective foils, so that illusion and materiality are both the theme and subject of his works. At the same time, architectural motifs such as brickwork, window frames and glazing bars are reinterpreted in terms of abstract geometric patterns – for example, when deeper layers of colour appear in the joints between neighbouring elements. Last but not least, the artist's process repeatedly implies deliberate flaws and breaks, be it through minimally shifted angles or other deviations in detail, which lends his painting – despite all its precision – a high degree of visual vibrancy.

Delicate balances instead of normative order, subtle violations of rules instead of painterly fulfilment of plans: Ralph Merschmann's paintings test the possibilities of a formal compositional method that does not merely indulge in variation and repetition, but is rich in characteristics and allusions – and thus leads to hybrid, individual pictorial results, that keep the viewer's gaze in constant motion.

The exhibition will open on Friday, 14 February 2025 from 6 to 9 pm in the presence of the artist.

VITA
 

1963
born in Lippstadt

1985-92
Academy of Fine Arts, Münster, Master student of Prof. Ulrich Erben

2003
Artist in Residence, Fellowship of North-Rine Westfalia, Schloss Ringenberg

lives and works in Cologne

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2025
Licht aus, Tür zu, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2023
Planspiele, Galerie Gudrun Selz, Freiburg

2021
Anderntags, Rasche Ripken, Berlin (with Rita Kanne)

2019
Gebietshoheit, Märzhase, Galerie für junge Kunst, Paderborn

2018
Betatron, Städtische Galerie Lippstadt

2017
Wappenklasse, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2016
Full Heavy Rose, Galerie Marlies Stachowitz, Paderborn
Saphir, Galerie Gudrun Selz, Freiburg

2015
Pluto, Galerie Marlies Stachowitz, Paderborn

2014
Mengenlehre, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2012
Superset, Galerie Gudrun Selz, Freiburg
Oomph, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
Pearl & Earl, Kunstverein Ahaus (with Rita Kanne)

2011
Merck, Finck & Co, Düsseldorf (with Martin Huidobro)

2010
Polyphon, Kunstverein Lippstadt

2009
Pearls, Kunstverein Unna (with Rita Kanne)
Mabuse, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
Galerie Hans Strelow, Düsseldorf

2008
Ladybird, Artothek, Cologne

2006
Einod, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster (with Rita Kanne)

2004
Galerie Hans Strelow, Düsseldorf

2002  
Städtische Galerie im Rathaus, Lippstadt (with Inge Bolley)
Galerie Januar, Bochum

2001
Serienreife, Schloss Ringenberg, Hamminkeln
(with Ralph Künzler)
Galerie Hans Strelow, Düsseldorf
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1998
Galerie Mueller-Roth, Stuttgart

1996
Städtische Galerie im Rathaus, Lippstadt
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1994
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster (with Rita Kanne)

1991
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster (with Rita Kanne)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2024
Salon 24, Rassche Ripken, Berlin

2019
ZOOM, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2018
Artisten – Hugo Koch zu Ehren, Galerie Januar, Bochum
Full House –  10 Jahre, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2017
Summertime, Galerie Hans Strelow, Düsseldorf
Zeigen. Eine Audiotour durch die Sammlung der Galerie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig

2016
Widerstände, Kunstverein Unna

2015  
Muster*prozess, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2014
25 Jahre Kunstverein Lippstadt, Kunstverein Lippstadt

2012
Full House, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
LP: akut, Städtische Galerie Lippstadt

2011
Fade away and radiate, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2010
Blendwerk – barocke Haltungen in der zeitgenössischen Kunst, Schloss Achberg

2008
Etwas bleibt immer hängen, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
Zeigen – eine Audiotour. Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach

2007
countdown, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster
maniera, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster
Kunst Raum Zeit, Kunstverein Lippstadt

2005
Mehr als genug, Künstlerhaus Dortmund
5 Positionen zur Malerei, Kunstverein Krefeld
sechzehnsechzehnplus, Galerie Mueller-Roth, Stuttgart
Neue Heimat 1, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2004
Hier und jetzt, Gustav-Lübcke-Museum, Hamm

2003
Good News, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster
Stipendiaten 2003, Schloss Ringenberg, Hamminkeln
Transistor II, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Arnheim

2001
Bergauf!, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2000
Farbräume, Diözesanmuseum Paderborn
Von Haus zu Haus, Städtische Galerie Lüdenscheid
Galerie Mueller-Roth, Stuttgart