“Echopraxia” – Does an echo resonate through art history?

The exhibition “Echopraxia” , which the Kunstverein Kiss eV is showing from August 22nd to November 23rd, 2025, at Untergröningen Castle, will celebrate two premieres:

For over a year, young artists have been working on an experimental and unique art project, which is being presented for the first time. Spectacular works of classical modernism will be shown in conjunction with this project, including works by Pablo Picasso , Ida Kerkovius, Wassily Kandinsky, and Francisco de Goya.

Curator Jan-Hendrik Pelz selected and invited sixty artists transform "echo chamber of art." "a glimpse into a driving force of artistic creation."

The exhibition aims to demonstrate the artistic inspiration that artists derive from the works of others, whether they are contemporaries or artists of long ago. According to Pelz, the reference, inspiration, and processing of artistic creation runs like a common thread through art history and creates "the glue that holds it together .

Quoting images is a well-known technique used in artistic work for centuries. The curator cites as an example the Spaniard Francisco de Goya's "The Execution of the Insurgents," "Massacre in Korea ," adopting the motif and composition and adapting them into his own style. Since then, the motif has been
adopted, reinterpreted, and quoted countless times by various artists. Among them is the Stuttgart-based painter Friederike Just 2024 painting "Halt"

However, it's not just about image quotations, but about much more. Pelz explains:

With this exhibition, I not only want to demonstrate how certain motifs and themes continue to move through art history to this day, but rather open a stage for a grand artistic experiment."

Twelve artists, whom Pelz jokingly "echo sounders ," came together over a year ago and
inspired and motivated each other in an ongoing collaborative process. The result is a multitude of works that interrelate with one another: be it in terms of color and formal language, or in terms of composition and theme. This creates a "network or web of artworks ," as Pelz calls it, "through which a playful approach to recognizability pervades. That's very exciting!"

Another part of the overall concept are the works of artists who continue to shape the work of today's generation.

These are positions whose works of art are firmly anchored in the canon of general visual memory.”

says the curator, his eyes lighting up.

There are wonderful works on paper by Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, and Alexej von Jawlensky. A magnificent charcoal drawing by Otto Dix and exciting works by Ida Kerkovius, Willi Baumeister, and Francisco de Goya are among them. Holding something like this in your hands is something truly special."

The works of art are on loan from the collections of various art museums and public and private collections. This represents an absolute stroke of luck for the Kiss Art Association: "Something like this has never happened here before!"

But contemporary art is not neglected either: In addition to the experimental approach of networking artists from the region, works by contemporary greats such as Georg Baselitz , Jenny Holzer, Cindy Sherman , Christian Jankowski and Daniel Richter are also shown.

"Curating an exhibition like this has always been my dream!" says Pelz, who himself is no stranger to the art world as a conceptual artist and painter. Until 2015, he studied at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design and, as a master student of Prof. Christian Jankowski and the art historian and curator Dr. Anne Vieth, won numerous scholarships and art prizes. In 2022, he presented his project "An Inner Place" at the ruruHaus of the Documenta in Kassel.

ECHOPRAXIA explores an essential practice of artistic creation, revealing connections that often remain hidden. Featuring outstanding exhibits and captivating young artists, it is a must-see for all art lovers. It's spectacular and absolutely worth seeing!

Participating artists

, Anja Luithle, Jörg Mandernach, Johanna Mangold, Teresa Margolles, Marcus Neufanger, Wolfgang Neumann, Florence Obrecht, Blerta Osmani, Jan-Hendrik / Paula Pelz, Pablo Picasso, Daniel Richter, Pipilotti Rist, Marco Schmitt, Margrit Schulz, Cindy Sherman, Tejzt, Fabian fahrer, Nigatu Tsehay, Tzusoo, Tesfaye Urgessa, Valo Valentino, Wolf Vostell

Art in Untergröningen Castle eV
Castle
73434 Abtsgmünd – Untergröningen

Mr. Werner Schulz (First Chairman)
www.kiss-untergroeningen.de

Jan-Hendrik Pelz (curator)