Nature Morte Presents Matti Braun’s ‘Noir‘
Nature Morte is set to present a solo show of paintings and sculptures by the German artist Matti Braun. This is his first solo exhibition in India, a country which has deeply influenced and inspired him. This exhibition, ‘Noil’ will take place at Nature Morte, Mumbai from 11 AM to 7 PM from 13th December 2024 to 18 January 2025. A special preview is organised for December 12th.
‘Noil,’ refers to the short fibres that are removed during silk combing and the textured fabrics referred to as raw or natural silk. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in India, a country which has deeply influenced and inspired him. The title of the exhibition, ‘Noil,’ refers to the short fibres that are removed during the combing process of spinning raw or natural silk and textured fabrics.
What is Matti Braun’s ‘Noil’ About?
Matti Braun’s practice is a constant negotiation between concrete references and general allusions, between poetic ephemerality and a sense of visceral immediacy. ‘Noil’ investigates the unexpected effects of cross-cultural dynamics, making patterns of artistic migrations and cultural misrecognition visible and tactile.
Paintings at Nature Morte’s ‘Noil’
The paintings, from two different series, are done on silk with deeply saturated colours. Some are seamless colour gradations, while others are abstractions of energetic splashes of colours. The dye process used for Matti Braun’s paintings appropriate traditional techniques of textile production. It is often used for religious and ritual purposes. There is a palpable tension between the works’ restraint and their hypnotic complex lushness.
The Sculptures of Matti Braun
The sculptures present groups of glass works displayed on circular plinths of Matti Braun’s design. The mouth-blown glass objects are both visual art and craftsmanship. The translucent objects recall eyes, especially the protruding “bug eyes” found in popular representations of the exaggerated physiognomy of alien creatures. Glass is an extremely stable vehicle for colours, retaining their chromatics into the distant future.
Photographic Excellence at ‘Noil’
Also included in the exhibition will be a suite of photographs depicting scenes from “The Alien,” a performative work staged by Braun at the Laban Theatre in London in 2006. The piece takes inspiration from the storyboard of the unrealized screenplay of the same name by Satyajit Ray. The photographs document a series of theatrical tableaux, combining dance and physical performance with conceptual and visual aesthetics.
What’s Next for Matti Braun?
As an offshoot of the exhibition, Matti Braun will present his work entitled ‘The Vikram Sarabhai Slide Lecture’ at Instituto Marangoni, Worli at 2.45 PM, 12th December 2024. The illustrated presentation chronicles the life and biography of Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971), best remembered as the father of the Indian space program. Through interdisciplinary associations, it explores how Sarabhai’s work intersected with major technical and cultural developments. It also traces the Sarabhai family’s connections with prominent cultural figures, including Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, John Cage, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
About Matti Braun
Matti Braun was born in 1968 in Berlin, Germany and currently lives and works in Cologne. He studied at the Stadelschule, Frankfurt and the Braunschweig University of Art. In 1994, Braun was awarded the Bonner Kunstverein’s Peter Mertes Award and in 2004 the Forderpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen fur Bildende Kunst. He has had solo exhibitions of his works in Berlin, New York, Bristol, Vaduz, Cologne, Bolzano, Helsinki, Los Angeles, and Munich, among other institutions.
Image Courtesy – Nature Morte
Contributor
