Published 12 NOV 2024

Opening – 15 NOV 2024, 7-9 pm
16 NOV 2024 until 11 JAN 2025

Crone presents the exhibition “Knallzart” by the three Berlin-based artists Emmanuel Bornstein, Clemens Krauss, and Robert Muntean.The show presents new paintings that engage with themes of identity, intimacy, and corporeality.

Bornstein, Krauss, and Muntean studied painting at German art academies in the 2000s, but each has followed a stylistically distinct path. Bornstein sees himself in the tradition of a figurative-deconstructivist expressionism, influenced by Francis Bacon. Krauss is known for his thick, impastoed layers of paint, often several centimeters deep, while Robert Muntean captivates with a very even, harmonious brushstroke that follows musical rhythms.

Though their approaches may appear vastly different at first glance, their works and artistic practices are deeply intertwined. The three artists are not only close friends and all based in Berlin, but they also share a common affinity for figuration and a focus on similar themes in their practice: Bornstein, Krauss, and Muntean’s works consistently reflect a preoccupation with societal processes, addressing aspects such as loneliness, isolation, massification, and both inner and outer violence.

Knallzart is the first joint exhibition of the three artists. It explores the central theme of their work: the dehumanization of the present moment—and the eternal longing for its opposite in the future.