Maximilian Rdel: Celestial Artefacts

Inky black, apricot, magenta, and a pastel purple: apparent monochromes, the paintings of Maximilian Rödel (b. Braunschweig, 1984; lives and works in Berlin) actually do not just traverse color spectrums; in a sense, they chart horizons of experience. Foreground and background are one, depth and surface at once; an undertow makes itself felt in which the nuances of color inter-weave, blur into one another, shimmer, flare up. The artist describes his pictures as an unfocused energy that already exists; he merely uncovers it. The first publication on Rödel's work presents the exhibition Celestial Artefacts at Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, with an emphasis on the Prehistoric Sunsets series (2018–2021).

Maurice Funken is an art historian and director of the NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein. Stefanie Gerke is an Berlin based art historian. Philipp Hindahl is a Berlin based writer, specialised in contemporary art. Rafael Horzon is a renowned German author, gallerist, and concept artist based in Berlin. Domenico de Chirico is an independent curator from Italy. Born in Bari, Italy in 1983, he lives and works in Milan. Leif Randt is an award-winning German author. LenaFließbach is an independent curator and writer of contemporary art.