Dieter Mammel

Much of what Dieter Mammel tries to express in the unmistakable visual language that he uses in his painting, his stage designs, his films – and which must be seen as a courageous move on his part – is embarrassingly private, improperly intimate. The stories and dramas in his life remind us of our own fears, aspirations and fantasies. Whoever strolls around his installations or even sleeps, as in Mammels Traum (Mammel’s Dream), in a Berlin hotel room in which they feel like a child in their parents’ huge bed, is part of an emotionally turbulent world that cannot be escaped. In this catalogue, seven friends and collectors of the artist relate for the first time how it is to live in and with his art. In addition to private photos of friends and collectors, film stills and stage designs, Mammel also allows us a glimpse of his studios in Berlin and Frankfurt. The focus in this catalogue is on the artist’s recent Blueberry Cycle series, comprising works in which human emotional expression is pushed to the limits through the use of dissolves and distortions.