The solo exhibition at the Berlin gallery showcases a selection of Piene’s Fire Paintings alongside his final ceramic works. Both bodies of work explore the element of fire and its creative potential, which the artist began experimenting with as early as 1959 and continued throughout his entire career.

Piene’s daring experiments with flames are echoed in the firing process used to achieve his “rasterised” ceramic works of later years. Revisiting the systematic approach of his earliest Raster Paintings, these wall works were created by pressing metallic glazes through perforated screens onto clay prior to being fired, introducing an element of unpredictability.

The subsequent firing resulted in a range of unexpected effects, including oxidation that disrupts the otherwise shimmering relief surfaces. In the untitled small-scale series made during Piene’s last creative period in 2014, roughly parallel rows of platinum and gold dots fuse in certain places into amoebic-like forms.

In Gold Coast (2009)—one of the largest pieces of its kind—horizontal bands of varying raster dot density suggest the glistening waves of a specific locale. Gold, often associated with the perfection of all matter, is viewed as emblematic of the sun, whereas silver signifies the moon, and platinum is thought of as a harmonious amalgamation of both gold and silver in alchemical theories. Concerned with energy and sensory perception, these vibrating works examine the conditions of light and patterning which guide the eye’s movement across their grids.

The exhibition offers a glimpse into the innovative techniques Piene employed to produce pioneering artworks of enduring relevance. Through the dynamic interplay of fire, light, colour and movement, these works reflect the explicitly positive message that permeates his œuvre: art should contribute to cultivating a peaceful and sustainable world. This hopeful vision of interconnectedness remains profoundly pertinent in contemporary discourse on both art and global issues.