Exhibition "The Pictures of the Book Artists": The color in the aisles speaks volumes
21.09.2021 – The exhibition "Die Bilder der Buchkünstler XI - Johannes Strugalla" in cooperation with the Klingspor Museum opened on Thursday evening, September 30, 2021, at Stadtwerke Offenbach. Around 35 guests accepted the invitation to a moving spatial experience at Senefelderstraße 162.
"Every exhibition at the Stadtwerke is special - and I am very grateful for your openness to all experiments," said Dr. Stefan Soltek, Director of the Klingspor Museum. This time, Johannes Strugalla's art is presented directly on the walls in the form of "original prints" so that guests can "immerse themselves in the book". The wavy lines flow through corridors and rooms "and pull us along". As the artist emphasized at the vernissage, the accompanying poems, presented on handmade paper at the Stadtwerke, literally flow out of him. His wife Francoişe Despalles, with whom he co-edits his works, has translated the texts into French.
Word and image art combined in a book
Johannes Strugalla, born in 1943, is one of the most renowned artists who combine word and visual art in the book to create very unique statements. "His works reflect 40 years of increasingly diversified media," explained Soltek, who has known the couple since 1984. Strugalla always focuses on the lines: they begin without a plan, they flow towards and into each other and develop a life of their own without wanting to depict or represent anything.
In the exhibition at Stadtwerke, Strugalla's latest artist's book "quod libet" (2020/21) is now open for inspection. The color speaks volumes: it transforms the perception of the rooms, and some guests may even hear "a rustling, audible with closed eyes", as the artist's accompanying texts put it.
"Eternity comes towards me
on the edge of a knife"Johannes Strugalla
With this exhibition series, Stadtwerke Offenbach and the Klingspor Museum have been focusing on the paintings, graphics and prints of artists whose top-class book art the museum collects since 2010. "The high artistic quality enriches the atmosphere in our offices and corridors - and their annual rotation inspires our employees as well as our guests," says Stadtwerke Managing Director Peter Walther. In return, Stadtwerke undertakes to acquire one work from each show as a permanent loan for the Museum für Schriftkunst. "So far, nine unique art books have ended up in our library," says Soltek happily. "In addition, the exhibitions at Stadtwerke also allow us to reach people who we would otherwise hardly attract to our museum."
Registration required
Anyone wishing to visit the exhibition at Stadtwerke Offenbach is requested to register in advance by emailing uk@soh-of.de. The 3G rules apply and masks are compulsory throughout the building.