This object was made in 1989, during the artist's student years. It shows her early interest in colour as something that can be used to create art. The top is painted a deep, dark green. But if you look closely, you can see a layer of blue shining through. The artist has painted over it, but in some places you can still see blue, especially at the edges and in impressions in the surface. The sides have been left untouched, keeping the waxy material in its original condition.
Compare this object with the two other pieces from 1989 in this room. One is painted in a single, vigorous reddish-orange. On one side, an orange thread has been directly embedded into the material. It sometimes sticks out from the edges and sometimes disappears, as if it's been hidden by the wax-like substance. This creates an interesting contrast between the soft, amorphous form and the structured, textile components.
The other piece has thick paint that has been shaped like a relief. A mixture of blues, yellows and reds clash and confront each other in paint that has not simply been applied, but has been modelled and layered in an almost sculptural way.
All the works in this room show Katharina Grosse's early experimental approach to colour and substance. Colour is not only important for how it looks. In the form of paint, it takes on a physical presence in the room. The artist is already beginning to explore how paint can take up space and how she can use colour as a sculptural element.
Let's move on together into Room 111. This is the final part of the exhibition. Here you can see a group of artworks showing the style that Katharina Grosse developed between 2017 and 2021.