21 JAN until 1 MAR 2025

Soy Capitán is pleased to present the group exhibition The Barn, curated by artist Henning Strassburger. The exhibition brings together works by Sarah Bogner, Christoph Knecht, Fabian Reetz, David Schiesser and Daniel Topka.

The term barn has significance in both architecture and physics. In architecture, a barn represents a spacious, adaptable structure primarily used in agriculture. In particle physics, however, barn is a unit of measurement introduced during the Manhattan Project—the secret U.S. program for developing the atomic bomb during World War II. Somewhat ironically, the term was used to measure the impact force of particle interactions—forces strong enough, at least in theory, to blow away an entire barn.

Much like the barn in architecture, the exhibition offers an open space for a range of artistic perspectives. The works explore themes of social structures, materiality, and symbolism in diverse ways. Figurative depictions, abstract forms, and conceptual approaches intertwine, creating a web of connections that unify the exhibition both thematically and formally. Each work, as a distinct entity, contributes to an overall dynamic impact—similar to the explosive force of the aforementioned particles.

In her work “Rote Flagge” (2024), Sarah Bogner (*1980) lets three horses plummet from the ceiling, followed swiftly by four moons. Still reeling, they call out to the highest horse — one last breath of life spiraling from their nostrils. The smiling lead horse seems to declare: Fear not! before sending its companions headlong into the blazing red abyss. In youth slang, red flags are warning signs in relationships, making Bogner‘s choice of title a striking reflection of our present moment. Her work delves into intricate relational structures, weaving a fragile web of form, color, light, and shadow. The horses take center stage, at times seeming to escape Orwell‘s Animal Farm, at others leaping straight from the relentlessly optimistic pages of the horse magazine Wendy. In “3 Fallende Früchte” (2024) Bogner again plays with this tension: three oranges poised in a dynamic tableau, evoking the essence of a classical still life. But by setting the fruits in a falling motion, she infuses them with vitality — a fleeting moment on the brink of transformation. They are ripe, tumbling juicily toward our grasp, yet defying gravity as they hover in midair, caught in the fragile dance of time.

Christoph Knecht (*1983) examines the fragile boundary between nature and culture, weaving inspiration from the aesthetics of historical botanical illustrations into his works. The works, all titled “Democracy” (2023), depict tree stumps bathed in toxic light, each encircled by an oversized worm. A cross-sectional view follows, revealing a strange wooden layer of topsoil, within whose cavities another worm writhes. In the deeper layers of the earth, the intricate root system is under siege by maggots, woodlice, and cockroaches. A closer look reveals that the roots spell out the word Democracy. Through this depiction, Christoph Knecht crafts a critical diagram of a society in decline. The tree above ground is reduced to a pitiful remnant, and the worm has already begun its work of decomposition. Yet, the complex root system hidden beneath the soil appears resilient enough to send forth new shoots, defying decay. The imagery evokes the Tree of Life, planted by the biblical God in the Garden of Eden to distinguish good from evil. Knecht‘s poetic visual language makes this cultural connection tangible, offering a contemplative lens on the fragility of our present moment.

In his works, Fabian Reetz (*1997) negotiates the connection between the mining and use of slate in the Thuringian Forest and the emergence of Gothic culture in the declining GDR. Historical events, traditional craftsmanship, and subcultural strategies are woven into a complex network of relationships. The slate quarried in southern Thuringia was part of the GDR’s excessive foreign currency trade with the West, a consequence of its chronic debt. The material reveals a desolate economic reality, while the slate-covered house facades convey narrowness and carefully concealed truths. Similarly, scarcity fueled the burgeoning youth culture, which simmered with longing in basements, bus stops, and children’s bedrooms. “East German Gothic Studies (the lovers)”(2025) consists of a transport crate lined with slate. Instead of protecting against rain and weather, the shimmering slate, fragile like brittle fabric, guards something within. The dimensions of the crate allow space for a single person.

In “Sporthotel Goldegg” (2024) by David Schiesser (*1989), a rustic scene unfolds as a group around a table stuffs themselves to the brim. The waitresses rush to serve bratwursts and trout; one, dressed in a dirndl, carries three steins of beer at once. The pale, despondent drinkers at the table reach out for wine and champagne as if it were their last elixir of life. Only the child seems to be gleefully anticipating some decadent delicacy that lies just outside the frame. Its grin, however, is eerily mirrored in the mask of a Krampus figure at the far end of the table—as if to say, the child can still laugh for now. Cut to another scene: “Börsengang” (2024). The Frankfurt Stock Exchange has crashed; the DAX is in freefall, and most of the brokers have already fled. A furious, naked mob storms the financial institution, smashing the monitors in a frenzy. Above, a Herculean figure looms — muscular, bearded, and wild — who, instead of supporting the pillars of capital, shatters them once and for all. In his works, David Schiesser confronts our overindulgent consumer culture with dystopian depictions of wildness. In times of societal collapse, Schiesser‘s figures descend into savagery, with the wild serving as a symbol of chaos and impending instability.

The works of Daniel Topka (*1992) can be read through the lens of an exaggerated Anthropocene aesthetic. He deliberately blends elements of high and low culture, wrapping socially critical concepts in a cute package reminiscent of the consumer goods world. The original is distorted: humans become civilized creatures, while animals are transformed into design objects, molded to suit contemporary tastes. In the sculptures on view, Topka references the overbreeding of domestic and farm animals. One striking example is certain dog breeds, where extreme changes in body proportions have left them unable to mate naturally. Topka translates these human-induced shifts in scale into blown glass. So far, he has created four series: oversized dog paws; remnants of animals on the brink of extinction; the paws of big cats kept as pets; and cow hooves. He presents these body parts in bright, trendy colors, shaped as hollow vases, adorned with seasonal flowers.

Displayed on brick pedestals, the vases take on an appearance akin to livestock at an auction.