“It’s Beautiful When the Spirits Arrive” by Swiss artist Tobias Spichtig (b. 1982) is his first solo exhibition in Asia. The exhibition is curated by Fabian Schoeneich, director and curator of CCA Berlin—Center for Contemporary Arts. It features exclusively new work, focusing on Spichtig’s painting practice and offering a carefully curated selection of both figurative and abstract paintings. Spichtig, originally from Lucerne, Switzerland, is currently based in Berlin but is transitioning to Paris. His practice encompasses a wide range of media, with sculpture and painting forming the core of his oeuvre. When considering an exhibition, Spichtig is always equally concerned with the architecture of the space. The viewer’s gaze, as well as the gaze of the paintings toward the spectator, is always taken into account. Based on this dynamic, the artist creates spaces filled with sofas or refrigerators, making it almost impossible to maintain any distance between the viewer and the work. He has built large stage-like structures, as he did at Kunsthalle Basel, where the viewer becomes the “object” viewed by the paintings. Alternatively, he might introduce a carpet, as at TAO ART, to intensify the space and foster a more intimate engagement with the paintings.
In “It’s Beautiful When the Spirits Arrive” at TAO ART, Spichtig’s work provides an overview of his motifs and interests from recent years. Viewers will encounter figurative paintings of Giacometti-like figures standing closely together. These figures are reminiscent of his sculptural work, in which he uses cloth soaked in epoxy to form thin silhouettes of ghost-like figures, seen not only in exhibitions but also in every flagship store of Balenciaga worldwide. The brand commissioned the artist a few years ago to create exclusive sculptures that have since haunted their spaces. Ottolinger, another Berlin fashion brand, also found inspiration in the artist’s work and adapted his canvases for an entire collection, unveiled in Paris last year.
However, the focus of the show at TAO is exclusively on painting, continuing with figuration in a portrait of an artist preparing to leave his dressing room and go onstage. The work features Spichtig’s well-known narrow face, drawn by time, alien-like, framed by glowing lights reminiscent of famous photos of dressing rooms in Broadway theaters. This is followed by two large paintings: one of a seated figure and another of a reclining figure on an abstract background of various colors.
It is unclear where these figures are located, perhaps somewhere in the ether. At the same time, their pose and posture recall classical paintings. Amedeo Modigliani’s Reclining Nude comes to mind, or the pose of the central figure in Claude Monet’s Lunch on the Grass. However, they could evoke entirely different references. Spichtig doesn’t quote old masters; rather, he works through a canon and defines his own language. Where we feel a sense of recognition, we lose the reference again in the next second.
Spichtig’s paintings all begin with abstraction before he decides whether to enter into a figurative mode. Some remain abstract, while others evolve into fully realized figurative works. The paintings are densely and richly applied; the paint leaves its traces, and there is no attempt to conceal them.
At the center of TAO ART is a key set of four works that offer insight into Spichtig’s paintings. The two figurative pieces are accompanied by an abstract work that, at times, loses its cryptic elements to reveal spirals or flowers from a distant world. Additionally, there is an almost photorealistic painting of sunglasses set against a dark abstract background, a logical continuation of his earlier works featuring printed sunglasses on monochrome painted surfaces. Two works, which seem to gaze at each other, conclude the exhibition in the adjacent room—an exclusive overview of painting by the artist Tobias Spichtig.
curated by
Fabian Schoeneich
at TAO ART, Taipei City
until November 30, 2024