Walther Schwiete

Under the title »Auf Streife«, the gallery is presenting new works by Walther Schwiete in a solo exhibition from 4 September to 7 November 2026.

For a long time, his artistic production has been defined by two fundamental aspects: on the one hand, by a pronounced collecting activity, which applies to everyday, often curious motifs, including signs, emblems, pictograms, all finds from the real world, kept in the artist‘s archive until they are used one day. And on the other hand his work is characterised by an experimental understanding of materials that can be described as a kind of artistic »engineering«, for he has developed his own processes and technologies, always with the aim of their pictorial use.

He thus repeatedly creates concrete, physical inscriptions using various materials, for example by assembling small polyethylene elements into pictorial inlays and layered compositions. In this way, several series of works have emerged in recent years, including red tattoos on a blue background or damaged wire mesh fences, but also scenes with a surprisingly painterly dimension, such as car lights at night.

Another group of works consists of the so-called »brandings«. These are, in fact, painted or drawn with fire, for which the artist crafts steel motif stamps, which he then heats and burns into plywood panels of various sizes. This applies to the large knife collections as well as to smaller panels, on which car motifs appear in various variations. Most recently, however, free, painterly works have emerged without the use of burning iron, showing cloud formations and other light phenomena between sky, earth and water.

Moving beyond conventional techniques, the artist has thus created his own polyphonic instrumentarium for image-making, which he continues to employ in and constantly expand to this day.

The exhibition will open on 4 September 2026 from 6 to 9 pm in the presence of the artist.

VITA
 

1956
born in Paderborn

1982-88
Academy of Fine Arts, Münster, master student of Prof. Ulrich Erben

1989-90
Artist in Residence, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris

2000
Art Award, City of Paderborn

2001, 2003, 2004
Lectureship for sculpture, University of Paderborn

lives and works in Berlin and Paderborn

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2026
Auf Streife, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Berlin

2025
EIGEN ± SINN, Städtische Galerie in der Reithalle, Paderborn

2024
Brandzeichen, Kunstverein Drensteinfurt

2019
Brandding, Stadtmuseum Beckum

2017
Brandwand, Kunstverein Oerlinghausen

2016
Brandings, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2015
Im Keller #1735, Theologische Fakultät, Paderborn

2011
Ressource zur Unterhaltung, Kunstverein Unna

2010
Logotogo oder die Hoffnung bey nochschwebender Handlung, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2008
Mr. Brico in Nordostwestfalen, Kunstverein Lübbecke
Mr. Bricolages Sonderangebote, Kunstverein Siegburg

2004
Massenträgheit, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2002
WeltHölzer, Kauno Galerija, Kaunas
Die Kunst, Schnee zu machen, Technologiepark Paderborn

1999
Autoput, Jesuitenkirche Paderborn

1998
Galerie Januar, Bochum
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1995
Skulptur & Zeichen, Welt & Häuschen, Galerie Dröscher-Meyer, Düsseldorf

1994
Skulptur & Zeichen, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1993
Arts et Métiers, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund

1992
Galerie Januar, Bochum

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2025
KLEINKLEIN, Märkisches Museum, Witten

2022
INTERMEZZO #4, Köpfe, Kunstmuseum Paderborn
IN SO FERN, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
Hommage à Reinhard Buxel, Kunstmuseum Paderborn

2018
Full House –  10 Jahre, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2015  
Muster*prozess, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2014
Jahresausstellung, Kunstverein Unna

2011  
30 Jahre Galerie da entlang, Dortmund

2010
Sample #3, Projektraum Deutscher Künstlerbund, Berlin

2008
Etwas bleibt immer hängen, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2007
maniera, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2006
Einmal acht, Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen

2005
Lohn der Arbeit, Städtisches Museum Mülheim/Ruhr
Salon, Galerie da entlang, Dortmund
Neue Heimat 1, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2003
Zünd ab, Kunstverein Schloss Ahaus
Der erste Blick, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund

2001
bergauf!, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster
evident - ambivalent, Kauno Galerija, Kaunas

1999
Testbild, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1997
in durch aus, Galerie der Künstler, Völkerkundemuseum Munich
Galerie da entlang, Dortmund

1995
Übersicht, Kultursekretariat Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Städtische Galerie Siegen and other places
Kunstdinge, Taschenberg-Palais, Dresden

1992
Transparenz, Märzgalerien Mannheim and Ladenburg