EARTH: a term that refers to the world as a whole as well as the crumb, the ground beneath our feet. Ekkeland Götze combines both in his artistic projects. The artist has been travelling the world's continents for 33 years. He extracts soil from certain places. These places always have a special historical, cultural, religious or natural significance. In his studio, Götze prints the earths on canvas and paper. The resulting pictures have a special aesthetic effect due to their colourfulness and surface structure.
In contrast to the monumental paintings by the late Romantic artist Eduard Leonhardi, the wall installation DAS BILD DER ERDE with 100 panels invites visitors to view the 50 or so projects that Ekkeland Götze has realised to date. In the large hall, the watercolour room and the reading room, earth paintings and artist's books on almost all projects are presented. Among other things, they deal with prayer rituals in India, ritual customs in northern Mexico, Aboriginal dream paths and the geographical connection between the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. In Africa, Götze follows the tracks of the animals. He creates a personal memorial to the painters he admires, Niko Pirosmani and Giovanni Segantini. He takes a critical look at the consequences of colonialism and the exploitation of nature. A special place is taken by the ensemble of paintings DIE GLETSCHER, which - using the Alps as an example - thematises the worldwide shrinking of ice landscapes.
A free booklet accompanying the exhibition presented the pictures and projects.
