Axel Pairon Gallery (Knokke)

Describe your studio/place of work. What is important to you about your workspace?

My main workspace is located on the ground floor of my 3-floor studio house in Germany's art metropolis Cologne. In the light-flooded 85 sqm studio I design all my works, here the concepts for small and large spatial artworks and room-filling installations are created; with my team I work on the computer and network with "the world". My second workplace is the production facility, where the fluorescent acrylic plates, which are usually produced especially for me, are stored and processed.

How would you describe your practice?

I invent, explore, and design three-dimensional wall and spatial objects with fluorescent materials, feeling like a painter even though my colour objects are created according to sculptural principles. The first step in my work is to order the industrially produced fluorescent plates in different plate thicknesses, specific colours and surfaces, and then combine them to often site-specific colour spaces.

How has your practice evolved over time?

I work with several producers in the acrylic glass industry around the world to obtain the widest possible variety of colour panels and to make full use of the available spectrum. On the other hand, I have enjoyed working with my small production team for over 25 years, trying out processing variations and innovative techniques to achieve again new effects.

What works can we expect to see at Art Toronto 2018?

At Art Toronto 2018, only new works will be shown, that I selected and produced together with my Belgian gallery owner Axel Pairon and whose placement was coordinated with the booth. We will be showing large and medium-sized artworks as well as small editions entitled colormirror mini toronto. Mirroring surfaces let the surrounding room as well as the viewer appear within the artworks, coloured light is reflected from the colour objects into the space and different light situations as well as temporary black light change the appearance of the works.

What do you want people to take away from your work?

My work is about the constantly changing effects of light and colour; my artworks react to their surroundings and engage in a dialogue with each viewer.

By transforming the thinking in colours and colour spaces into a spatially perceptible plasticity, the viewer finds a coloured sensuality in the perception of my works of art, which is able to cross borders.