The works by Danish artist Erik A. Frandsen (*1956) display a visual treat of colors, light and reflection. In fuzzy relations the borders between artwork, decoration and architectural element once again become blurred. Frandsen has covered the front space of the gallery with monochrome, shining quadrats. The arrangement of colors is random and does not follow a strict system predetermined by the artist. A neon lamp illuminates the middle of the gallery and seems like a three-dimensional drawing somehow stuck in time.

The curved and bright colored fluorescent lights are not only being reflected in the floor installation but also in the large scale stainless steel sheets with engraved flowers – a memento mori that refers to the vanity of youth and beauty and at the same time distorts the reflection of oneself. The painted flower still lifes on canvases are oriented towards real flowers in the studio of the artist. Frandsen’s works give clear allusions to the eternal questions of sensuality, time and mortality.

Sexuality and fragility are also repeating themes in the works by the French photographer MAXIME BALLESTEROS (*1984), who lives and works in Berlin. Ballesteros documents the fashion and art scene in the same aesthetical manner as when he travels through France, the USA or Mexico. His photos can be seen as a personal diary or as the evidence of a silent observer.

The title straw house suggests on one hand a wish for shelter and safety but at the same time points to a threat of rapid collapse. Such thematic contrasts characterize Ballesteros’ work – shimmering scenes of the fashion world and urban nightlife, trailer parks in suburban USA, intimate and private situations, scarred surfaces and the small absurdities of everyday life. In his photos the young photographer frames fragments of reality whereby stories and associations are triggered in the viewer’s imagination.

Photo credits:  [Erik A. Frandsen] photo 1: John Breek, photo 2: Hans Brexendorf