Cornered, a solo exhibition of Artschwager’s work at the Berlin gallery in honor of the artist’s centennial, displays works from his “Crates” (1995) and Splatter (2000–08) series, Formica sculptures (1964–2008) and a large-scale painting (1997) alongside an exuberant Exclamation Point (2008). The show offers a synoptic overview of a practice concerned with the habits and mechanics of looking.

A dualism between opposing forces is present in much of Artschwager’s work, which often reinterprets everyday objects in unusual and industrial materials such as Formica, Celotex and acrylic bristles. The pieces on view in the upstairs gallery – some shown for the first time – are marked by polarities such as faux versus real, useful versus useless, and ordinary versus art, informing their choice of material and composition.

Cornered, the show’s title, encapsulates Artschwager’s signature dry wit and humor, referencing both the artist’s focused attention on corners – the intersection of two planes, the join between two walls of a room, sharp edges – as well as alluding to his unwavering individuality. The works echo elements of Pop but lean much closer to the slick, pared-back language of Minimalism, refusing to be cornered and confined by art historical categories.

The presented selection of quirky works outlines the radicalism with which Artschwager questioned materials and perception. Exploring the line between the everyday and art, crossing boundaries between genres and mediums, Cornered showcases the artist’s resolutely original work that plays with the peculiarities of objects and spaces.