At Sprüth Magers, Robert Elfgen presents utopisch, a solo show on view until August 1st, 2026, where the delicate line between humankind and nature is traced through a poetic, myth-infused visual language. The exhibition gathers new and recent works spanning assemblage, painting, collage, and sculptural installation, forming an environment that feels simultaneously built and eroding.
Elfgen’s practice thrives on tension—not opposition, but friction as a generative force. Industrial fragments meet natural imagery, each reshaping the other. Sandblasted glass panels in hand-built wooden frames slice through the space while also opening it up; geometric grids and organic patterns appear to fold into architectural systems, yet remain porous through light and transparency. Each piece functions as both threshold and interruption, circling questions of how contrasting worlds might exist side by side.
In his wood-based paintings, layers of pigment, ink, and spray are repeatedly worked and partially removed, exposing the raw grain beneath. This revealed surface becomes more than support—it carries atmosphere, recalling haze, clouded skies, and shifting weather. Material memory and environmental sensation overlap, tightening the dialogue between humankind and nature.
Works such as Cigno Nero (2026) introduce rupture and unease, while Emilia (2026) sets industrial structure against soft textile-like colour fields, fusing a nuclear plant image with atmospheric tonal shifts. Concrete, aluminium, brass, and wood build a shared visual language—heavy materials recast with a sense of instability and ambiguity.
utopisch proposes a condition where contradiction forms structure rather than collapse. Through layered surfaces, controlled light, and shifting transparencies, Elfgen builds a world where industry, landscape, and mythic reference remain in constant, unsettled relation—briefly allowing their boundaries to blur.
Exhibition view: ROBERT ELFGEN, utopisch, SPRÜTH MAGERS, Berlin (2 May–1 August 2026)
Courtesy of SPRÜTH MAGERS
