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until 06.03. | #5131ARTatBerlin | neugerriemschneider (Christinenstrasse) shows from Friday 11. September 2026 the exhibition “painting the path” by the artists Andreas Eriksson and Kim Chong Hak.
‘painting the path’, a dialogue between Kim Chong Hak and Andreas Eriksson, brings together new works and pieces created in recent years by the artists at neugerriemschneider. Both artists base their artistic approaches on the rhythms of nature and, drawing on their diverse generational, political, geographical and cultural backgrounds, translate these into compositions that oscillate between figuration and abstraction. Through paintings that are emotionally and formally balanced, they have become chroniclers of the mountains of their homelands – Kinnekulle in Sweden, where Eriksson set up his studio in 2002, and Seoraksan in South Korea, where Kim has lived and worked since 1979. In this exhibition, the artists – who find themselves at different, yet pivotal, points in their careers – depict the remote landscapes of their regions in a state of constant flux – ranging from vibrant colours to quiet, introspective moments.
At the foundation of Eriksson’s practice stands the countryside that envelops his home and studio in rural Sweden, and his avid, ever- evolving exploration of it. Integral to this process is a heightened attention that allows details, scenarios, peculiarities and moments of chance to, all become fodder for introspective exchanges. In new painted work, large-scale canvases mimic the grandiose proportions of his subjects, while smaller, intimate panels reflect a fascination for the world’s minutiae. Here, in conceptual distillations of natural phenomena, his practice sees new direction – one that is no longer constrained by the graphite guidelines that blueprint his previous work. A referential quality too remains absent from these latest images, giving way to a responsive approach in which paint informs itself, becomes sculptural and takes on the character of the artist’s tools. Eriksson, acutely studied in paints and their unique properties, conforms his methods to his materials’ behavior – the time it takes to dry, how it adheres to its surface, its susceptibility to, external forces. The artist’s signature fields of color give way to an unburdened handling of medium, eliding precedent, while his increasing use of synthetic pigments continues this development: Moved across the canvas, they emerge from gentle organic earth tones into striking palettes. painting the path also features Eriksson’s A Second Time (2003 – 2007), and selections of his Molehill (2009 – ongoing) and Content is a Glimpse (2008 – ongoing) sculptures – cast-bronze impressions that accompany his painted work in capturing nature’s fleeting moments.
With his picturesque tributes to the holistic experience of the seasons, their passing and their return, Kim has established himself over the past six decades as one of South Korea’s most significant painters. His contemplative, historically grounded approach combines conceptual and physical exploration by translating the splendour of nature into vibrant colours or minimalist, almost monochrome compositions accentuated by striking lines. Born in 1937 in the north of Japanese-occupied Korea, Kim grew up in a reality where both the land and the landscape were scenes of discord. After periods in Tokyo, Seoul and New York, the artist moved to the Seoraksan region, whose natural landscape became the central theme of his work. Varying in scope and scale, this artistic practice implies both a break with and a celebration of the past.
His passion for collecting antiques and regional arts and crafts – such as the two ‘kirogi’ on display – hand-carved ducks traditionally given as gifts at Korean weddings – is just as evident in his work as his early experiments with minimalism, abstraction, calligraphy, poetry and conceptual art, as well as his involvement in the material-oriented Mono-ha movement. These influences, developed into a figurative style of expression, continue to shape his use of colour to this day – a use that is as emotional as it is lyrical, as fleeting as it is grounded. Kim’s monumental painting *Landscape* (2019) spans 18 metres across two corners, creating a unique panoramic effect. It epitomises the artist’s quest to explore the very essence of nature through painting. The thicket at the edges of the picture appears almost infinite in its depth, whilst the depicted wildflowers in full bloom beckon with the promise of an eternal plant world.
Andreas Eriksson, Lump, 2026, acrylic, egg-oil-tempera and oil on canvas, 235 x 252 cm. © Andreas Eriksson / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy the artist and neugerriemschneider, Berlin
*Painting the Path* bears witness to the long walks that inspire many of Eriksson and Kim’s works. These solitary walks along wooded paths are undertaken without any expectations of creative inspiration and are just as significant to the artistic process as the act of painting or sculpting itself. The result is not representational images, but enigmatic interpretations of their surroundings which, freed from social constraints, serve as barometers of moods. In this exhibition, the perspectives of the two artists now converge, enabling them to view one another in a new light.
To coincide with *painting the path*, Barbara Wien is opening the exhibition *Horizontal Fold*, which explores the central role of artist publications in Eriksson’s oeuvre and is complemented by paintings, photographs, screen prints, bronze sculptures and textile works (until 24 December). In addition, the Institut suédois in Paris is dedicating the exhibition *Soleil et Lune. Andreas Eriksson en dialogue avec Ivan Aguéli* (20 October to 10 January 2027) to Eriksson. Works by Kim can be seen concurrently in an exhibition at the Gangneung Museum of Art Sorol (22 July to 25 October) and in the major retrospective *Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan*, which, following its premiere at the High Museum of Art, will be shown at the Phoenix Museum of Art (9 September to 21 February 2027).
Works by Andreas Eriksson (b. 1975) have been exhibited in solo exhibitions at international museums and institutions, including Murin-an, Kyoto (2024); OōEli, Hangzhou (2024); Lillehammer Art Museum, Lillehammer (2024); Lidköping Art Gallery and Vänermuseet, Lidköping (2023); Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm (2023); De 11 Lijnen, Oudenburg (2021); Skissernas Museum, Lund (2021); Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn (2020); Braunsfelder, Cologne (2019); Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm (2014); Centre PasquArt, Biel (2014); Listasafn Reykjavíkur, Reykjavík (2014), and mumok – Museum of Modern Art, Ludwig Foundation, Vienna (2008). The artist took part in the 30th São Paulo Biennial (2012) and represented Sweden in the Nordic Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011). Eriksson lives and works in Medelplana, Sweden.
Works by Kim Chong Hak (b. 1937) have been exhibited in solo exhibitions at international museums and institutions, including *Painter of Seoraksan*, High Museum of Art, Atlanta (2025); *Highlighting Contemporary Artist III*, Busan Museum of Art, Busan (2020); *Carte blanche à Kim Chong Hak*, Musée national des Arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris (2018); *A Key to Creation*, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul (2015); and *Retrospective*, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwacheon (2011). The artist took part in the 13th and 12th São Paulo Biennales (1975, 1973) and the 4th Paris Biennale (1965). Kim lives and works in Seoul.
Opening: Thursday, 10. September 2026, 6 – 10 pm.
Exhibition dates: Friday, 11. September 2026 until Saturday, 6. March 2027
To the gallery
Title image caption: Kim Chong Hak, Untitled, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 53 x 65.1 cm. © Kim Chong Hak. Courtesy the artist and neugerriemschneider, Berlin
Exhibition Andreas Eriksson & Kim Chong Hak – Galerie neugerriemschneider | Zeitgenössische Kunst in Berlin | Contemporary Art | Ausstellungen Berlin Galerien | ART at Berlin
