Albert Oehlen

The first »Computer Paintings« by Albert Oehlen (*1954) were created in the early 1990s, a second series in the early 2000s. Beginning with a laptop purchased in 1990, the first digital drawings were made and then transferred onto canvas by the painter.  The aesthetic dictated by the technology with its typical staircases and squares became a starting point for a body of work that oscillates between cool sparseness and exuberantly varying forms. 

The idea of producing art with the help of a computer seems thrillingly contemporary in light of current debates on artificial intelligence. Even more so, if one takes Oehlen’s artistic conclusion from his preoccupation with computer art seriously: »It has to be completed by the human hand«.

The exhibition »Computer Paintings« is being created specifically for the first floor of the Galerie der Gegenwart and in close collaboration with the artist. This rarely shown body of Albert Oehlen's works can be explored in a presentation tailored to the exhibition venue. The geometric austerity of the space of architect Oswald Mathias Ungers with its natural light is an ideal setting for a painting that resembles digital composing of music and poses questions about the mutual impact of technology and artistic expression.