Placed within the sacred context of the Church of St. Agnes, Reyle intentionally fosters a sense of ambivalence and emptiness rather than pure sanctity. The sculptures, influenced by Reyle’s foil paintings and their interlocking reflections, can be interpreted as monumental strips of standing foil. Alongside these sculptures, the exhibition also features new foil paintings, incorporating the characteristic silver foil that the artist discovered years ago, challenging artistic conventions.

 

Reyle’s experimentation with the foil, using it as a sculptural and pictorial medium, is exemplified in the LAZY FOILS series. The thicker silver foil is draped onto the canvas, forming flowing wave formations. Colored transparent Plexiglas boxes, traditionally used as protective museum furniture, are often combined with the foil paintings, creating an inverted painting effect as the Plexiglas filters emit colored light, infusing the artwork while preserving its ethereal quality.

 

Light plays a central role in Reyle’s works, manifesting through neon elements, reflections, translucence, and photography. The exhibition showcases neon elements arranged in Plexiglas boxes, evoking the accumulation practices of the Nouveaux Réalistes. His photographs capture abstract compositions with vibrant artificial light in urban spaces, resembling gestural paintings.

 

In his NEUE MALEREI series, the artist presents minimalist works that juxtapose rough jute grounds with iridescent surfaces, draped foil folds, and roughly squeegeed neon paint. These large-format pieces introduce depth, natural color, and contrasting atmospheres, pushing the boundaries of painting.

PARADISE invites you into a multisensory experience, where steel sculptures, foil paintings, neon elements, and photography converge, sparking contemplation on the interplay between materiality and immateriality.