In Praise of Shadows

Contemporary East Asian Art from the POhl Collection

April 8, 2026 – November 9, 2026

Drawing inspiration from the cultural-philosophical essay In Praise of Shadows (1933) by the Japanese writer Tanizaki Jun’ichirō, the current exhibition presents a selection of contemporary East Asian works from the own collection. On view are works by Japanese, Chinese, South Korean, and Vietnamese artists who engage in various ways with the traditional norms and practices of their individual societies.

Haegue Yang: Lightning Gleam in the Lunar Mountains, Trustworthy #314 (2017) © for the work by the artist; for the photograph by Jens Gerber

Qiu Shihua: Untitled (2024) © for the work by the artist; for the photograph by Jens Gerber

Lee Ufan: Correspondence (2006); Lee Ufan: Dialogue (2010); Thuy Tien Nguyen: above folded point, below eye level (2024); Sung-Hee Cho: Light Blue blossom (2012) © for the works by Thuy Tien Nguyen and for Lee Ufan and Sung-Hee Cho by VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (2026); for the photograph, by Jens Gerber

Ai Weiwei: Iron Root (2017); Evelyn Taocheng Wang: Grandmother Underwear and Imitation of Agnes Martin (2025) © for the works by the artists and, in the case of Evelyn Taocheng Wang, additionally by Antenna Space, Shanghai, and Carlos/Ishikawa, London; for the photograph by Jens Gerber

the relationship between presence & emptiness

Tanizaki’s description of East Asian aesthetics forms the theoretical foundation of the exhibition. As in the essay, the works on display therefore focus on the understanding of space and perception, as well as the equal interplay of light and shadow, fullness and emptiness, and materiality and spirituality.

The artists do not treat these opposites as an either/or, but rather emphasize their mutual interdependence. This gives rise to complex experiential spaces in which traditional visual concepts are taken up, transformed, and overlaid with new influences.

The exhibition offers a multifaceted insight into current artistic positions from East Asia, featuring works by Ai Weiwei, Leiko Ikemura, Yayoi Kusama, Lee Ufan, Thuy Tien Nguyen, Hyun-Sook Song, Evelyn Taocheng Wang, Haegue Yang, and others.

Isa Genzken

April 8, 2026 – November 9, 2026

The exhibition is dedicated to the diverse work of Isa Genzken, who has been one of the most influential figures in contemporary art since the 1970s. For more than three decades, she has been developing an artistic practice characterized by a wide variety of materials: wood, plaster, concrete, and epoxy resins feature alongside plastics in her works on an equal footing. The Pohl Collection now offers insight into the artist’s complex oeuvre.

Isa Genzken: Nofretete (2018) © for the work by VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (2026); for the photograph by Jens Gerber

Isa Genzken: Soziale Fassade (2002) © for the work by VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (2026); for the photograph by Jens Gerber

Between Consumption, Architecture, and Technology

Genzken was one of the first artists to explore computer-generated techniques at an early stage. In her “parallelograms,” she develops forms that combine mathematical precision with a conceptual understanding of art. The presentation of Genzken’s works creates a dialogue between this early phase of her career and her current practice.

For example, one sculpture depicts the legendary ancient Egyptian ruler Nefertiti, to whom the artist adds a modern and humorous twist that fuses myth and consumer aesthetics. The artist’s works also reflect her ongoing interest in urban structures and their dissolution. The reflective wall works evoke monumental glass facades and capture the dynamism and fragility of modern urban architecture. At the same time, they raise questions about the place and responsibility of contemporary humanity.

In their complexity, the exhibited works invite viewers to reflect on current notions of architecture, materiality, and cultural imagery.

Isa Genzken: Untitled (2015) © for the work by VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (2026); for the photograph by Jens Gerber

Isa Genzken: Weltenempfänger (1987) © for the work by VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (2026); for the photograph by Jens Gerber

archive


In Search of Lost Time

April 30, 2025 – March 1, 2026


im Gästezimmer THree

November 12, 2025 – March 1, 2026


Constellations

April 30, 2025 – January 25, 2026


Stopover

March 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025


im Gästezimmer Two

April 22, 2024 – June 7, 2024


Insight two

December 21, 2022 – February 28, 2023


im Gästezimmer One

September 14, 2022 – February 28, 2023


Insight One

July 1, 2022 – November 20, 2022