The exhibition BELLE TOUJOURS ?! shows very different artistic positions that all deal with the motif of women. Among them are almost elfishly enraptured women in the works of Tania & Lazlo (*1986, *1984 in Italy), who deal with the subconscious, dreams and the human psyche in their series “Behind the Visible”. The Israeli artist Ygal Ozeri (*1958 in Israel) knows how to create hyper-realistic paintings of beguiling effect like no other. Portraits of young girls in the style of fashion photography, staged allegories in the style of old masters. The handling of light, the color compositions, the brilliance of the craftsmanship trigger astonishment and doubt. Next to them are works of Pop Art. Mel Ramos († 2018 in USA) is one of the most influential pop artists, along with Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein. His central motif: women. On display are graphic works from the series “Commercial Pin Ups” and the “Animal Paintings”. The French artist Eric Liot (*1964 in France) can also be positioned in Pop Art with his three-dimensional wood collages. In stark contrast to the somewhat sexually charged images of this genre is the work of Elvira Bach, one of the main representatives of the “Junge Wilde”. Elvira Bach (*1951 in Germany) paints herself – and she is every woman: sexy with pumps, wine glass and cigarette in hand, and doubly burdened with washing up baby and cat on one side and brush on the other. The artist Peter Hermann (*1962 in Germany) creates real-seeming female figures in bronze, which he stages in emphatically casual postures. They seem untouched by everyday problems, show no signs of stress or anger, and in many cases radiate a stoic calm and serenity.
