上海狮語｜马丁·韦默尔《赫斯珀里得斯花园》｜9月13日开幕

“长久地站在岸边，我用灵魂寻找希腊人的土地。”

作为一位在华创作、生活近二十载的德国艺术家，韦默尔将自己看待中国生活的视野融入于画面，以横跨东西的创作题材探讨日常物象在不同语境中的文化意义。在单语境中拥有固定寓意的概念与符号，经过文化景观的转换，衍生出新的内涵。其创作不仅是个体对生活回应的体现，也蕴含在母国与异乡之间，对文化认同与变迁的思考。

韦默尔标志性的厚涂技法赋予作品鲜明的物质感与生命力——颜料以极具力度的方式堆积在画面上，仿佛在静止的画布上呼吸与脉动。富有雕塑感的笔法在画面中建构出浮雕式的视、触觉的交点，充盈着感官的诱捕。丰茂的形式语言下，人与物在韦默尔的笔下被夸大、拆解与重构，成为叙写现实，又超越现实的抽象存在。

从“希腊神祇”、“日常物”至抽象系列，本次展览聚合了韦默尔过往十余年间的创作生活样貌多元的种种片段。韦默尔在“赫斯珀里得斯花园”中以轻盈的姿态邀请观者一同迈入奇珍异草的秘境，在行走、驻足与观望与体知间采撷独属于每个人的金苹果。

Leo Gallery is delighted to present the solo exhibition Garden of the Hesperides by Martin Wehmer, on view from September 13 to October 27, 2024. In Greek mythology, the Garden of the Hesperides is a mystical sanctuary where the golden apple tree flourish, emblematic of abundance, allure, and timeless beauty. Using the exuberant blossoms and branches of Huahua as a point of departure, Wehmer sets the stage for a dynamic interplay of substance, color, and form.

“Lange stand ich am Ufer und suchte mit meiner Seele das Land der Griechen.”

(“For a long time, I stood by the shore, my soul in search of the Greeks’ land.”)

As a German artist who has made China his home for nearly two decades, Wehmer seamlessly weaves his perceptions of Chinese life into his canvases. His cross-cultural subjects delve into the shifting cultural meanings of everyday objects across different contexts. Concepts and symbols, once rooted in a singular cultural narrative, are reimagined through the lens of cultural interplay, yielding fresh insights. Wehmer’s work not only serves as a personal dialogue with life but also as a meditation on cultural identity and transformation, poised between his native land and his adopted home.

Wehmer's signature impasto technique infuses his work with palpable materiality and vibrant energy. The paint, vigorously applied, creates a textured surface that seems to pulse and breathe, defying the stillness of the canvas. His sculptural brushwork forges a tactile and visual intersection, drawing viewers into an immersive sensory experience. Through this lush formal language, Wehmer magnifies, deconstructs, and reconfigures figures and objects, crafting an abstract existence that both narrates and transcends reality.

From his series on "Greek Gods" and "Everyday Objects" to his abstract works, this exhibition brings together a diverse range of Wehmer’s creative endeavors from the past decade. In Garden of the Hesperides, Wehmer gracefully invites viewers to step into a hidden realm of rare flora, where one can wander, pause, observe, and discover a golden apple uniquely their own.