Ruttkowski;68

For SPARK Art Fair Vienna 2024, Ruttkowski;68 proudly presents the work of Mathias Weinfurter (b. 1989 in Frankfurt am Main, DE). Weinfurter prefers to work with ordinary materials familiar to us from everyday situations, intentionally eschewing conventional ideas of artistic value. Through his experiments with glitch art, he uses an industrially manufactured fence, which imposes its grid across the landscapes of Central Europe. Weinfurter is captivated by the function and significance of fences in terms of content. They often demarcate boundaries, define areas of power, and are deeply integrated into everyday life. Yet, border issues constitute a significant portion of neighborhood conflicts, both private and political, with corresponding implications for humanitarian concerns. Another facet of his work involves engaging with socially relevant questions surrounding memory culture and politics. In this context, he is particularly intrigued by the concepts and possibilities of preserving memory and fostering public discourse around it. Alongside representing historical heritage, his work also delves into individual forms of memory and the associated aspects of identity formation.

Mathias Weinfurter prefers to work with ordinary materials that are familiar to us from everyday situations and intentionally do not serve the common ideas of value in art. For his experiments around the glitch he uses an industrially manufactured fence that draws its grid across the landscapes of Central Europe. Weinfurter is fascinated by the function and meaning of fences in terms of content. They sometimes border, define areas of power and are so integrated into everyday lives. And yet border issues make up a large part of neighborhood conflicts, both private and political, with a corresponding impact on humanitarian issues. Another aspect of his work is the engagement with socially relevant questions of remembrance culture and politics. In this context, he is particularly interested in ideas and possibilities of preserving memory and public discourses around it. In addition to the representation of historical heritage, his work also addresses individual forms of memory and associated aspects of identity formation.

Ruttkowski;68, founded in 2010 by Nils Müller, is a Cologne, Düsseldorf, New York and Paris-based art gallery. The gallery concentrates on a broad range of practices within contemporary art, including painting, time-based media art, sculpture and installation, whilst following a non-hierarchical approach towards several scenes and artistic backgrounds. By representing both emerging and established artists rooted in fine arts, fashion, pop culture and youth movements, Ruttkowski;68 manages to create an ever-evolving link between the high and the low. Besides publishing exhibition catalogues, Ruttkowski;68 regularly engages with curatorial projects such as the overarching exhibition series Mixed Pickles, ensuring the visibility of the artists represented by the gallery as well as underlining its stance in between disciplines. Ruttkowski;68 constantly participates in international art fairs.