all this
herman de vries
19.03. – 10.08.2025 | MQ Freiraum

The artist herman de vries (*1931, Alkmaar/NL) invites us to perceive nature not as a resource, but as a living, self-determined actor - as a work of art in itself. Influenced by his early work in biological research, de vries transfers scientific methods into his artistic work in order to make the “reality” of nature visible.
Since the 1970s, herman de vries has been a collector and mediator of the “works” of nature. His artistic work includes installations with stones, flowers, wood and other materials that he finds in nature. He develops his famous earth rubs, arranges leaves from various plants and turns his wanderings into a performative act of perception. System and chance go hand in hand. Philosophical considerations play a central role in his artistic exploration of the world, and poetry also becomes an important means of expression. de vries' artistic practice unites art, life and nature into a cosmos beyond opposites.
The exhibition at MQ Freiraum presents the 93-year-old artist's fascinating oeuvre, which is both radical in its immediacy and modesty, with a large number of key installations, wall and text works from the last 50 years.

Curated by Dr. Cees de Boer (independent curator) and Verena Kaspar-Eisert (MQ chief curator)

Supported by Mondriaan Fund

Anatomy of an Endless Scene
Huda Takriti
19.03. – 10.08.2025 | MQ Freiraum

Huda Takriti (*1990 in Damaskus/SYR) explores themes such as memory, identity, migration, and the complex entanglements of personal and collective history in her interdisciplinary practice. Through the use of archival materials, found objects, and personal narratives, she questions and recontextualizes historical and societal narratives. In two video works presented at MQ Freiraum, she delves deeply into the dynamics of power, time, historiography, and transmission.

Curated by Verena Kaspar-Eisert (MQ Chief Curator)

PREVIEW

METABOLICA
Thomas Feuerstein
Opening: Wed 17.09.2025

METABOLICA leads us into the factory of life and tells a molecular story of metabolic cycles across five chapters – from the Industrial Revolution to the present and future, from whaling and the petromodern age to current and emerging scenarios of the bioeconomy. Algae and bacteria become artistic collaborators, forming a new visual and aesthetic practice through microbiological processes. This practice expands images, forms and symbols through what are termed metaboles: while symbols signify and represent, metaboles act and perform real processes.

Bacteria become sculptural agents, metabolising algae-enriched fatty acids into the bioplastic PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate). Where in the Renaissance sculptural material once came from quarries like Carrara, with the chisel as tool, in METABOLICA it is bacteria that act simultaneously as “quarry” and “chisel”. They produce a new material for sculpture, only to digest it again, alter its form and return it to the metabolic cycle.

METABOLICA was conceived in 2017 and, since 2020, has been supported by a team of scientists and engineers. The aim of the research is to harness carbon sources from wastewater streams in industrial and sewage treatment plants to produce PHB. PHB replaces petrochemical plastics such as polypropylene (PP), is fully biodegradable under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in soil and water and stands as a model for a shift towards the bioeconomic turn.

Guided tours in German with art historian and curator Margareta Sandhofer take place every first Wednesday of the month. Participation is free of charge with a valid ticket. The tour dates at a glance:
Wed 01.10.2025 17h
Wed 05.11.2025 17h
Wed 03.12.2025 17h
Wed 07.01.2026 17h