Henning Strassburger
Berlin-based artist investigates the role and production of painting against an increasingly digital and image-saturated culture.
«What I am trying to do – is to see what is happening in the world and make art that responds to it. I think that everything that appears in the contemporary visual world somehow belongs together. Why should we, as painters, not think about the way that printed media or online media create a certain visual world».
Painting to him is just another part of the contemporary visual continuum, mediated through screen and print, and this affects the way he produces his work. His paintings take inspiration from advertising colour schemes or draw on commercial imagery, reflecting on painting’s displacement as a dominant force of visual culture over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Strassburger’s paintings take the form of large-scale abstracts, but unlike his historical predecessors, the loops, swirls and grids on the canvas are not interested as a record of the subjective mark-making that is characteristic of a personal style. Artistic innovation to him is no longer possible. His painting method is determined by his desire to create confusion about his process. «What I tried to do with these paintings is to make them look manual at first sight, a type of Abstract Expressionism. But when you come closer, you do not know. I never touch the canvas with a brush». His paintings are flat, and the white primer dominates, he is interested in flatness, another Abstract Expressionist reference. His method of production, avoiding the personal mark in favour of the flat surface is a way of connecting painting to the reproduction and appropriation techniques used by New Materialist artists. «For me, this is the challenge for the contemporary painter – to produce a painting that looks like a print’. A painting, therefore, that is not a painting.
«What I am trying to do – is to see what is happening in the world and make art that responds to it. I think that everything that appears in the contemporary visual world somehow belongs together. Why should we, as painters, not think about the way that printed media or online media create a certain visual world».
Painting to him is just another part of the contemporary visual continuum, mediated through screen and print, and this affects the way he produces his work. His paintings take inspiration from advertising colour schemes or draw on commercial imagery, reflecting on painting’s displacement as a dominant force of visual culture over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Strassburger’s paintings take the form of large-scale abstracts, but unlike his historical predecessors, the loops, swirls and grids on the canvas are not interested as a record of the subjective mark-making that is characteristic of a personal style. Artistic innovation to him is no longer possible. His painting method is determined by his desire to create confusion about his process. «What I tried to do with these paintings is to make them look manual at first sight, a type of Abstract Expressionism. But when you come closer, you do not know. I never touch the canvas with a brush». His paintings are flat, and the white primer dominates, he is interested in flatness, another Abstract Expressionist reference. His method of production, avoiding the personal mark in favour of the flat surface is a way of connecting painting to the reproduction and appropriation techniques used by New Materialist artists. «For me, this is the challenge for the contemporary painter – to produce a painting that looks like a print’. A painting, therefore, that is not a painting.
CV
born in 1983 in Meissen, Germany.
Lives and works in Berlin.
Solo exhibitions
2021 Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2020 - Die Unschuldigen, Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin
2020 - ALPHAKEVIN, Kunstverein Heppenheim, Heppenheim
2019 - Karma Mension, BlainISouthern, London
2019 - HENHOP-Syndrome (mit Andy Hope 1930), Kunstverein Heppenheim
2018 - KENNY, BlainISouthern Berlin
2018 - Air Conditioner, Osnova Gallery, Moscow
2018 - Fünf Bilder, Blumenthal, New York
2017 - Privacy, Hofstra University Gallery, New York
2017 - JANE, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2017 - Private Resort, Múrias | Centeno, Porto
2017 - Meditations in an Emergency, Neue Galerie Gladbeck, Gladbeck
2017 - Superet Exit Systems, Studiolo, Milan
2017 - Bleaching is Teaching, Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen
2017 - Superet Light, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2017 - Dirt Club, BolteLang, Zurich
2017 - Biographical Paintings of Love and Hate, anna rumma, Naples
2017 - Think Tank, Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg
2017 - Pool, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2017 - Strike The Pose, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2017 - What This Does, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin
2013 - The Revenge of the Double X Factor (with Hans-Jörg Mayer), Provinz Editionen, Projekte Bochum
2012 - indexternal, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2012 - abc — art berlin contemporary
2012 - I am a Girl, Kavi Gupta, Chicago
2012 - So Athletic (with Wendy White), Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz e.V. Berlin
2011 - IMAGE, Galerie fiebach, minninger Cologne, (cat)
2011 - New Paintings, Christopher West Presents Gallery, Indianapolis, USA
2011 - SoftiDrink, Kunstverein Heppenheim (cat)
2010 - Good old figuration, Kunstsammlung Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt (cat)
2009 - A Kansas City Shuffle, Verein für Raum und Form in der bildenden Kunst, Vienna
2009 - Die Neue Härte, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg
Group exhibitions
2020 Osnova, Moscow
2020 - Image Vision, Philipp Pflug Contemporary, Frankfurt am Main
2020 - Paintingzeitgeist?, AchenbachHagemeier, Berlin
2020 - Echo Chambers, Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Frankfurt
2020 - Hallucinogenic, Gerhard Hofland, Amsterdam
2020 - Black Album / White Cube. A Journey into Art and Music, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2019 - You are here — Works from the Peters-Messer Collection, Werkschauhalle Leipzig, Leipzig
2019 - Hyper! A journey into art and music, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg
2018 - Trance, Aïshti Foundation, Beirut
2018 - Works on Paper, Gussglashalle, Berlin
2018 - Doodle & Disegno, Blain|Southern, Berlin
2018 - Paradise is Now. Palm Trees in Art, Robert Grunenberg and Salon Dahlmann, Berlin
2017 - Wohnfront Megadark, Plan5, Stockholm
2017 - Experimental Berlin, Richard Taittinger Gallery, New
2017 - Quality of Cuties, just married, Osaka
2017 - Die Linke und die rechte Hand für ein Halleluja, David Achenbach Projects, Wuppertal
2017 - Monet is my church, Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Berlin
2016 - Provinz, c/o Kunsthalle Recklinghausen
2016 - My Abstract World, me Collectors Room, Berlin
2015 - Artists against Aids, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
2015 - Adrian Buschmann, Mia Marfurt, Henning Strassburger, Tyra Tingleff, Studiolo, Milan
2014 - Hausreste, Haus der Kunst, Munich
2014 - Associations New , SALTS, Basel
2014 - New Associations, SALTS, Birsfelden
2014 - Haus der Kunst, Solothurn
2014 - »Wo ist hier?« #1: Malerei und Gegenwart, Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen
2014 - Charlotte Herzig — Tobias Spichtig — Henning Strassburger, BolteLang, Zürich
2014 - Luggage and observations, Galerie Klaus Gerrit Friese, Stuttgart
2014 - Unfinished Season, Galerie Nagel+Draxler, Köln
2013 - Come, All Ye Faithful, curated by Carson Chan, Showroom Florian Christopher, Zürich
2013 - The Digital Divide by Henning Strassburger, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2013 - In The Studio | Part of ReMap 4, Kunsthalle Athena, Athens
2013 - Berlin.Status(2), Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (cat)
2013 - Freie Sicht, Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden
2013 - Provinz Editionen, Galerie Vera Gliem, Cologne
2013 - Get off the lawn, Parade Ground New York
2013 - Deep Cuts, curated by Wendy White and David Huphrey at Anna Kustera Gallery, New York
2012 - Bilderladen DuMont-Carré, in collaboration with Galerie Christian Nagel and fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2012 - Paradise City, curated by Anne Bitterwolf, Lisa Tiemann, Autocenter, Berlin
2012 - G#12, fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2012 - Lutz Braun, Andreas Diefenbach, Hans-Jörg Mayer, Henning Strassburger, in collaboration with Galerie
2012 - Christian Nagel and fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2011 - Abstract Ilona, Berresheim-Butzer-Strassburger-v.Ostrowski, Kavi Gupta Gallery, Berlin
2011 - INDEX11, Kunsthaus Hamburg
2011 - MDFA — Sammlung im Alpenhof, Alpenhof Oberegg, Switzerland
2011 - Vandel 7. Sozialgestaltung: Liebe + Friedhof, Hospitalhof Stuttgart, Stuttgart
2010 - Informel Relations, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (USA)
2008 - Vandel #2, TÄT Berlin
2008 - Grauzonen, SIKS Frankfurt
2008 - STAFETLØB, Grassereins Projektraum, Munich
2008 - Sommerausstellung, Galerie Fiebach & Minninger, Cologne
2008 - Wenn nicht für Gott, dann für wen?, Villa Richter, Hamburg
Fairs
Dallas Art Fair 2019
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2018
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2017
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2016
Art Basel 2016
Art Cologne 2016
The Armory Show 2016
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2015
Art Basel 2015
Art Cologne 2015
Art Cologne 2015
SP-Arte 2015
Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015
The Armory Show 2015
The Armory Show 2015
The Armory Show 2015
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2014
ARCO Madrid 2014
Lives and works in Berlin.
Solo exhibitions
2021 Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2020 - Die Unschuldigen, Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin
2020 - ALPHAKEVIN, Kunstverein Heppenheim, Heppenheim
2019 - Karma Mension, BlainISouthern, London
2019 - HENHOP-Syndrome (mit Andy Hope 1930), Kunstverein Heppenheim
2018 - KENNY, BlainISouthern Berlin
2018 - Air Conditioner, Osnova Gallery, Moscow
2018 - Fünf Bilder, Blumenthal, New York
2017 - Privacy, Hofstra University Gallery, New York
2017 - JANE, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2017 - Private Resort, Múrias | Centeno, Porto
2017 - Meditations in an Emergency, Neue Galerie Gladbeck, Gladbeck
2017 - Superet Exit Systems, Studiolo, Milan
2017 - Bleaching is Teaching, Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen
2017 - Superet Light, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2017 - Dirt Club, BolteLang, Zurich
2017 - Biographical Paintings of Love and Hate, anna rumma, Naples
2017 - Think Tank, Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg
2017 - Pool, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2017 - Strike The Pose, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2017 - What This Does, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin
2013 - The Revenge of the Double X Factor (with Hans-Jörg Mayer), Provinz Editionen, Projekte Bochum
2012 - indexternal, Soy Capitán, Berlin
2012 - abc — art berlin contemporary
2012 - I am a Girl, Kavi Gupta, Chicago
2012 - So Athletic (with Wendy White), Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz e.V. Berlin
2011 - IMAGE, Galerie fiebach, minninger Cologne, (cat)
2011 - New Paintings, Christopher West Presents Gallery, Indianapolis, USA
2011 - SoftiDrink, Kunstverein Heppenheim (cat)
2010 - Good old figuration, Kunstsammlung Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt (cat)
2009 - A Kansas City Shuffle, Verein für Raum und Form in der bildenden Kunst, Vienna
2009 - Die Neue Härte, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg
Group exhibitions
2020 Osnova, Moscow
2020 - Image Vision, Philipp Pflug Contemporary, Frankfurt am Main
2020 - Paintingzeitgeist?, AchenbachHagemeier, Berlin
2020 - Echo Chambers, Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Frankfurt
2020 - Hallucinogenic, Gerhard Hofland, Amsterdam
2020 - Black Album / White Cube. A Journey into Art and Music, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2019 - You are here — Works from the Peters-Messer Collection, Werkschauhalle Leipzig, Leipzig
2019 - Hyper! A journey into art and music, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg
2018 - Trance, Aïshti Foundation, Beirut
2018 - Works on Paper, Gussglashalle, Berlin
2018 - Doodle & Disegno, Blain|Southern, Berlin
2018 - Paradise is Now. Palm Trees in Art, Robert Grunenberg and Salon Dahlmann, Berlin
2017 - Wohnfront Megadark, Plan5, Stockholm
2017 - Experimental Berlin, Richard Taittinger Gallery, New
2017 - Quality of Cuties, just married, Osaka
2017 - Die Linke und die rechte Hand für ein Halleluja, David Achenbach Projects, Wuppertal
2017 - Monet is my church, Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Berlin
2016 - Provinz, c/o Kunsthalle Recklinghausen
2016 - My Abstract World, me Collectors Room, Berlin
2015 - Artists against Aids, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
2015 - Adrian Buschmann, Mia Marfurt, Henning Strassburger, Tyra Tingleff, Studiolo, Milan
2014 - Hausreste, Haus der Kunst, Munich
2014 - Associations New , SALTS, Basel
2014 - New Associations, SALTS, Birsfelden
2014 - Haus der Kunst, Solothurn
2014 - »Wo ist hier?« #1: Malerei und Gegenwart, Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen
2014 - Charlotte Herzig — Tobias Spichtig — Henning Strassburger, BolteLang, Zürich
2014 - Luggage and observations, Galerie Klaus Gerrit Friese, Stuttgart
2014 - Unfinished Season, Galerie Nagel+Draxler, Köln
2013 - Come, All Ye Faithful, curated by Carson Chan, Showroom Florian Christopher, Zürich
2013 - The Digital Divide by Henning Strassburger, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf
2013 - In The Studio | Part of ReMap 4, Kunsthalle Athena, Athens
2013 - Berlin.Status(2), Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (cat)
2013 - Freie Sicht, Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden
2013 - Provinz Editionen, Galerie Vera Gliem, Cologne
2013 - Get off the lawn, Parade Ground New York
2013 - Deep Cuts, curated by Wendy White and David Huphrey at Anna Kustera Gallery, New York
2012 - Bilderladen DuMont-Carré, in collaboration with Galerie Christian Nagel and fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2012 - Paradise City, curated by Anne Bitterwolf, Lisa Tiemann, Autocenter, Berlin
2012 - G#12, fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2012 - Lutz Braun, Andreas Diefenbach, Hans-Jörg Mayer, Henning Strassburger, in collaboration with Galerie
2012 - Christian Nagel and fiebach, minninger, Cologne
2011 - Abstract Ilona, Berresheim-Butzer-Strassburger-v.Ostrowski, Kavi Gupta Gallery, Berlin
2011 - INDEX11, Kunsthaus Hamburg
2011 - MDFA — Sammlung im Alpenhof, Alpenhof Oberegg, Switzerland
2011 - Vandel 7. Sozialgestaltung: Liebe + Friedhof, Hospitalhof Stuttgart, Stuttgart
2010 - Informel Relations, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (USA)
2008 - Vandel #2, TÄT Berlin
2008 - Grauzonen, SIKS Frankfurt
2008 - STAFETLØB, Grassereins Projektraum, Munich
2008 - Sommerausstellung, Galerie Fiebach & Minninger, Cologne
2008 - Wenn nicht für Gott, dann für wen?, Villa Richter, Hamburg
Fairs
Dallas Art Fair 2019
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2018
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2017
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2016
Art Basel 2016
Art Cologne 2016
The Armory Show 2016
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2015
Art Basel 2015
Art Cologne 2015
Art Cologne 2015
SP-Arte 2015
Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015
The Armory Show 2015
The Armory Show 2015
The Armory Show 2015
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2014
ARCO Madrid 2014