VOLTA BASEL

Xiao Se

In “Capitalist Economy” (2018) Xiao illustrates an instinctive reality with delicate brushstrokes. Compared to the Mannerist artists, Xiao does not strive for fabricating a sophisticated elegance. He almost avoids the use of chiaroscuro. Besides, he minimizes the effect of ambient color on the appearance of every subject. The bizarre spatiotemporal relationship between the subjects is created by the artist’s emphasis on rigid outlines and local colors. The light-pinkish flesh strikingly differs from the well-crafted clothing and accessories, and a somber background. By depicting the corporeal, Xiao conveys the elusive and complex nature. Humans can surrender at the feet of a spiritual master or dogmas of a material world.

For a moment time stands still. A flying fish flutters in the air. As if a passer-by, it causes a momentary contemplation on a “Summer Night” (2017). Xiao Se puts streams of desires and doctrines in dialogue with a perpetual hope for freedom. A flying fish is a metaphor for the cognitive shifts in rapidly changing material reality. It represents miracles, marking lifestyles and cultural trends in swift succession. It awaits (re)discovery and responses to humanity’s crisis.

During the “Afternoon Tea” (2017), children desert obedient performance. They can be laid back about the “red” tradition and a mysterious future. Meanwhile, they become more responsive to physiological needs. Nevertheless, teatime is a pause after all.

Dieter Detzner

The present work “J-A-D” (2008) was shown at the Shenzhen Pingshan International sculpture exhibition. The curator Li Zhenhua considered it as one of the most important works created by Dieter Detzner so far. It symbolizes both men and female beginnings. The artist works with a basic structure playing with the optical effects of transparency and reflection. The infinity of a geometrical spiral sprouts up in the space. The names of the works are subjective reminiscences of artists. The J-A-D is an abbreviation of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, a French neoclassical painter.

The mirror series, among them the work “Forough” (2022), is an emblematic theme in Dieter Detzner’s works. Initially taking quite a basic industrial material, the artist creates playful worlds by folding and shaping the acrylic glass into geometrical forms. The artwork comes into a playful relationship with the viewer, becoming a large-scale kaleidoscope with numerous reflecting facets. By naming his works Dieter Detzner always refers to the artists and creators of the past, connecting in this sense the inheritance of the art historical discourse. The artist gives herewith a certain personality to the works.

Angela Lyn

The series in the red of life (2021) was created especially for the grand solo exhibition On the Edge of Time at Villa Arconati, a four-hundred-year-old baroque palazzo on the outskirts of Milan. "on the edge of time - a time in which we face unprecedented uncertainties of realities we cannot know and cannot escape. A space that creates openings to a range of tensions and concerns that shape our lives. A space where art and science expand our perspectives to unexpected dialogues and potential discoveries of practical and sustainable solutions. A space that invites response. In a time when we are constantly exposed to uncertainties and threats far and near, we look for places that enable shared responses to our anxieties, numbness, or denial. How can we generate, sustain, and reorient people's attention when facing the edge of a world saturated with ever faster and more fragmented information?" questions the artist.