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