For his first individual presentation in Spain, Berlin-based artist Anton Henning has transformed Galeria Javier Lopez & Fer Frances, creating a site-specific installation comprising a range of paintings and sculptures. In other words, a characteristic Henning gesamtkunstwerk…this time in Madrid.
With trademark irony, Henning muses on the way art is exhibited, on the role of the artist, and on the spectator as a voyeur. A self-taught painter, Henning borrows from a disparate range of styles, reworking them to create unlikely art historical cocktails, humorous invitations to question preconceptions and pretence.
The current installation brings together large scale “curvist” pieces, surreal compositions, and faux Dutch-masters representations of characters from the cartoon series, The Simpsons. Among the paintings on display is Portrait No. 299, recently acquired by Colección SOLO. Henning’s work features in prestigious collections including the Centre National des Artes, Paris and MOCA, Los Angeles; this unique show in Madrid is a wonderful opportunity to discover his creations.