English
The friendship of the German artist Georg Baselitz and Belgian photographer Benjamin Katz began more than four decades ago and is now commemorated with an exhibition in Helsinki, which not only shows the last work of this neo-expressionist artist, but also will dedicate a space to Katz´s portraits of Baselitz, made in the last twenty years.
Sons of modernity, these two fascinating figures have always been linked by having the courage to find their own path and their faith in change, as well as their incessant interest in the past. Baselitz, for example, has always been attracted to the darker parts of German history of as was, as well as the darkest parts of his own history. Katz, on the other hand, started in art by opening his own gallery, and then devoted himself exclusively to photography. Central themes of his work include his friends and acquaintances, important personalities from the world of art, both artists and those who operate behind the scenes: curators, gallerists, critics, collectors, etc. And in that sense, the work of Katz works as a sociological archive of the world of art then and now. Like Baselitz, he has found a way to deal with the past and pay tribute to it without losing sight of the present.
In this latest exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum Tennis Palace, which opened on April 16, Baselitz is engaged again to his own past as way of “remixing” his former positions. With “Remix”, the artist tries to reinterpret the dark and anxious tone of his early works with infractions of lightness and spontaneity. Katz´s work, meanwhile, is a tribute to his dear friend, with an extensive collection of photographs that shed light on Baselitz, the artist, as well as on his personal and private life.
Rent apartments in Helsinki and enjoy this interesting collection, which takes us into the friendship of two interesting players in the field of modern art and will be open until August 1.
