The exhibition “feeling blue – feeling pink” explores the duality of emotions, the symbolism of colors, and reflections on gender identity. The title also reflects our personal realization that, for many things, there is no “later.” This concept was developed when we decided to conclude our active exhibition program in December 2024.
Over the past 35 years as gallerists, we’ve had the opportunity to meet remarkable people and visit exceptional places. The title “feeling blue – feeling pink” encapsulates our current state, which shifts between the bittersweet experience of closing a long chapter and the anticipation of what lies ahead. “feeling blue” conveys the reflective mood that often accompanies farewells, as well as the open-ended possibilities of new adventures. In contrast, “feeling pink” signifies the optimism that has carried us through many challenges and continues to shape our outlook for the future.
We have observed that these two colors play a significant role in the works of our artists. As such, it seemed fitting to curate an exhibition that not only reflects these themes but also highlights the emotional and formal aspects of blue and pink in art.
For our final exhibition, we have selected three artists with whom we have enjoyed a long and successful collaboration, as well as two young positions that we also greatly appreciate. Together, they represent the key elements of our gallery’s program since 1988: the prominent role of female artists, non-figurative painting, photography-based conceptual art, and emerging voices from the younger generation.
Artists and Works: Marcia Hafif (USA, 1929–2018), who we first exhibited in 1989 in our collectively-run off-space in Neuss and continuously exhibited in Düsseldorf and Berlin, will be represented by works from her series “French Paintings” and “New York Colors.”
Rosemary Laing (Australia, 1959–2024), whom we represented since 1999, we choose a rare piece from her 1999 series “Flight Research” along with a selection from her 2008 series “One Dozen Useless Actions for Grieving Blondes.”
Our prosperous collaboration with Katharina Grosse (Germany, 1961) ran from 1995 to 2008, and we continue to look back on it fondly. We will be showing editions in blue and pink that we co-published in 1999.
At the beginning of our collaborations Aneta Kajzer (Germany, 1989) and Thomas Trum (The Netherlands, 1989) were just starting their now-successful international careers. We will be presenting their latest works in this exhibition.
Walter Conrads & Helga Weckop-Conrads