Let the Distance keep us Together
Walter Dahn passed away on November 7, 2024, just a few days after the opening of his solo exhibition ‘Have Love Will Travel’ at Haus Mödrath on October 20. We had the great privilege of experiencing a particularly wonderful and intensive preparation and build-up phase with Walter. In countless conversations, he repeatedly referred to his time as a teacher in Braunschweig - above all because of ‘his’ students. He was in intensive dialogue with some of his students. It was always about art, music and film. Always ‘at eye level’, as Walter constantly emphasised. For years, even decades. ‘Let's see’, “look here” or “what do you think of this...” - this is how the exchange, the mutual interest, the expression of mutual appreciation often began. They were more, much more than just his ‘students’. For Walter, they were fellow artists with equal rights. But more than that, they were his friends, actually already part of his family, an integral part of his cosmos.
And we can now bring these close student family friends together again in a small series of exhibitions. With genuine enthusiasm and conviction, they all agreed spontaneously. They are sure that Walter would love it. And because Walter Dahn's exhibition will run for another eight months until the end of August 2025 at Haus Mödrath, we have the fantastic opportunity to showcase one of these artists every month in our studio in the basement.
GERT & UWE TOBIAS
Gert and Uwe Tobias are among the best-known printmakers of their generation. However, they have not only updated the technique of woodcuts, but have also created a multi-faceted and multi-layered oeuvre in various media. In their large-format woodcuts, mystical creatures and fantasy figures populate a dark, fairytale-like and fascinating world of fables, reminiscent of the surreal imagery of the late Middle Ages.
Gert and Uwe Tobias, born in Brasov, Romania in 1973, studied under Walter Dahn at the Braunschweig University of Art from 1998 to 2002. They live and work in Cologne.