In “Untitled, 2024,” Cyrielle Gulacsy extends her exploration of cosmic phenomena through a meticulous application of acrylics on a wooden panel. The artwork, sized 14 x 18 x 2.9 cm, displays a composition rich in deep blues interspersed with pops of reds and pinks, illustrating her characteristic pointillist technique that suggests the expansive universe. Each point of color is a deliberate gesture, reflecting Gulacsy’s ongoing fascination with the interplay of light and matter, signed and dated on the back, marking it as a significant piece in her oeuvre.

Lieven Deconinck’s Untitled (blue) from 2024 is a striking composition that merges gestural abstraction with a restrained colour palette, creating a dynamic interplay between printmaking and painting.
The deep, vibrant blue dominating the image recalls Yves Klein’s iconic International Klein Blue (IKB), which similarly employed pure colour to evoke emotional depth and a sense of boundlessness. The energetic brushstrokes and fluid forms in Deconinck’s work suggest influences from the Abstract Expressionist movement, particularly Franz Kline, whose sweeping, bold gestures from the 1950s share a comparable raw intensity and spatial tension. However, where Kline’s work often emphasised sharp contrasts, Deconinck’s forms are more fluid and organic, lending a sense of movement and impermanence.
Robert Motherwell’s Elegies to the Spanish Republic series (1948-1967) also comes to mind, with its use of simplified shapes and monochromatic fields that imbue abstract forms with emotional and historical resonance. While Deconinck eschews overt symbolism, his emphasis on the materiality of the medium connects him to Color Field painting, focusing on the purity of form and pigment rather than narrative content.
Deconinck’s process-oriented use of silkscreen and acrylic on PVC draws clear parallels to Pop Art, particularly to the work of Andy Warhol, who revolutionised the use of silkscreening as a bridge between fine art and mass production. While Warhol’s approach was rooted in the reproduction of popular imagery, Deconinck’s silkscreens retain a painterly quality, blending the mechanical and the handmade, much like Christopher Wool. Wool’s gritty, layered use of silkscreen and paint to create abstract, often raw compositions that explore the tension between control and chance resonates in Deconinck’s work. Both artists challenge traditional notions of authorship and originality, questioning where the boundary lies between the mechanical and the human touch.
In summary, Untitled (blue) draws from a wide array of historical and contemporary influences, ranging from the visceral, gestural intensity of Abstract Expressionism and the minimalist tendencies of Color Field painting to the technological experimentation found in Pop Art and postmodern abstraction. These references converge to create a work that is both timeless and thoroughly contemporary, inviting the viewer to contemplate the evolving dialogue between traditional and modern techniques in painting and printmaking.

Turn Up” (2024) by Stephan Marienfeld is a black-patinated bronze sculpture that captures dynamic energy and movement in a compact form. Measuring 82.9 x 35.9 x 27 cm, this piece is part of a limited edition series, where the fluid curves and bold presence transform the surrounding space, inviting the viewer to engage with its powerful, kinetic form.

The sculpture-series CANS by Marienfeld are characterized by their dynamic shapes and reflective surfaces. Highly polished stainless steel gets kinks and twists, through this skullful manipulation of the material, Marienfeld creates captivating visuell effects. The light and the surrounding are captured and reflected in multifaceted ways.

This description beautifully articulates the essence of Cyrielle Gulacsy’s work in “CS030, 2024,” from the ‘Spectral Component’ (CS) series. It encapsulates the artist’s methodical approach to exploring the scientific underpinnings of light through her vivid, pointillist style. Each dot of color is not only a visual element but also a scientific inquiry, mapping the fluctuating wavelengths that compose our visible spectrum. The artwork, using high-quality Golden brand acrylics on a substantial canvas, showcases a mesmerizing gradient from tranquil blues to vibrant reds and oranges, symbolizing the thermal shift in light frequencies. Signed and dated, “CS030” is a compelling invitation to viewers to delve deeper into the visual and conceptual layers of light and its spectral diversity, highlighting Gulacsy’s unique fusion of art and scientific exploration.

Deconinck’s Untitled (Green) (2024) features his characteristic combination of silkscreen ink and gestural abstraction, this time on canvas. The monochromatic palette, dominated by deep greens and black, contrasts with the raw, expressive splatters and brushwork. Measuring 200 x 145 cm, the work showcases Deconinck’s exploration of texture and form, where mechanical silkscreening techniques interplay with organic, spontaneous strokes. This artwork emphasizes his ongoing interest in blending digital precision with the unpredictability of hand-applied gestures, reflecting his engagement with themes of control, abstraction, and materiality.

Lieven Deconinck’s Untitled (Pink) (2024) showcases his signature blend of gestural abstraction and silkscreen techniques. The artwork features dynamic brushstrokes of vibrant pink, contrasted with the precision of silkscreened elements on a smooth PVC panel. Deconinck’s use of acrylic paint over an industrial surface emphasizes the tension between the organic and the mechanical, reflecting his exploration of contemporary themes like digital culture and materiality. This piece continues his investigation into how traditional and modern techniques can coexist, inviting the viewer to engage with the layered complexity of his artistic process.

This untitled work by Emanuel Seitz features vertical bands of bold colors, including yellow, black, blue, brown, green, orange, and purple. The layered brushstrokes create a rhythmic visual experience, with the interplay of vibrant pigments adding depth and structure. Seitz’s minimalistic approach invites the viewer to engage with the interaction between color and form, while the dynamic contrast emphasizes the materiality of the paint in this striking abstract composition.

Lieven Deconinck’s Untitled (Florida) from 2024 evokes rich associations with several iconic figures in the history of abstraction, seamlessly merging elements of painting and printmaking to create a distinctive visual language. The piece recalls the gestural intensity and poetic abstraction of Cy Twombly, where marks and forms seem spontaneous yet deliberate. Deconinck, like Twombly, creates an interplay between expressive, almost scribbled gestures and more controlled, layered elements. The suggestion of floral forms, combined with the rawness of the strokes, evokes a sense of movement and emotion without anchoring the work in strict representation, much like Twombly’s own ethereal and emotive compositions.
The vibrant blend of colours in Untitled (Florida)—the warm oranges meeting muted blues and purples—brings to mind Helen Frankenthaler’s exploration of colour fields and stain painting. Deconinck’s acrylic and lacquer applications create a sense of depth and atmosphere, reminiscent of Frankenthaler’s ability to evoke natural landscapes through abstract means. The translucent layering of paint in Deconinck’s work, combined with the silkscreen elements, allows for an experience where colour and form interact fluidly, much like Frankenthaler’s colour-soaked canvases.
Albert Oehlen’s influence also surfaces in the way Deconinck blends painterly gestures with mechanical processes, such as silkscreening. Oehlen is known for embracing the clash between digital and traditional methods, and Deconinck similarly uses silkscreened elements to add a layer of mechanical precision, which contrasts yet complements the looser, organic acrylic strokes. This duality of hand-crafted and industrial marks heightens the tension within the work, creating a dialogue between control and spontaneity.
In Untitled (Florida), Deconinck skillfully balances these historical influences while carving out his own contemporary space. His work explores the tension between abstraction and representation, hand-crafted and mechanical, while engaging deeply with colour and form. By merging these elements, Deconinck positions his work within a dialogue that spans from Twombly’s lyrical abstraction to Oehlen’s bold experimentation with media, offering a fresh, innovative voice in the ultra-contemporary landscape.

Emanuel Seitz features vertical bands of soft pink, burgundy, green, black, white, blue, and dark green, layered with bold and fluid brushstrokes. The juxtaposition of colors creates a rhythmic and harmonious visual experience, as each hue interacts with the next, emphasizing both contrast and cohesion. Seitz’s use of acrylic and pigments gives the work texture and depth, highlighting his interest in the materiality of paint and the dialogue between color and form. The composition, while minimalistic, invites viewers to contemplate the balance between structure and expression.

Residu Composition (Saignon) (2022) by Tom Van Puyvelde presents a profound exploration of color and motion through oil on canvas. Measuring 33 x 30 cm, this artwork features a dynamic interplay of blurred hues that transition smoothly across a muted palette. The painting captures a fleeting, almost ghostly effect, as if capturing the residue of a moment just passed. This piece suggests an ethereal landscape or a distant memory fading into obscurity, inviting the viewer to engage with the nuances of recollection and the ephemeral nature of time. The gentle gradations of color and the careful modulation of light and shadow in this composition create a contemplative space that echoes the serene yet transient atmosphere of Saignon, where it was inspired.

In Sarmizegetusa N 78 (2021), Irina Ojovan continues to engage with ultra-contemporary abstract painting by blending modernist principles with a deeply personal narrative. Her work navigates the terrain between pure geometric abstraction and emotional resonance, positioning her within a lineage that includes prominent figures such as Josef Albers, Kazimir Malevich, and Ellsworth Kelly, while also contributing to current dialogues in abstract art.

The dominant yellow form at the center of the canvas, softened by its gradient, draws immediate parallels to Albers’ exploration of color interaction in his Homage to the Square series. Albers sought to investigate how colors affect one another and the viewer’s perception. Similarly, Ojovan uses color and form to create subtle yet powerful visual shifts, evoking sensations of light, warmth, and spatial depth. Yet, Ojovan’s work moves beyond pure color theory, connecting these formal qualities to personal memory and inherited histories, thus introducing an emotional layer that resonates with the viewer.

Her use of geometric forms also recalls the utopian aspirations of Russian Constructivism, particularly the work of Kazimir Malevich. Where Malevich sought transcendence through the “supremacy” of pure form, Ojovan grounds her abstraction in the real world, referencing her father’s architectural tools and personal history. This imbues her geometric forms with a biographical weight that transcends formalism, aligning her work with contemporary practices that merge the personal with the universal.

In terms of contemporary peers, Ojovan’s art can be seen in conversation with painters like Sarah Crowner or Tauba Auerbach, both of whom explore the boundaries of geometry, materiality, and surface within modern abstraction. Like Crowner, who is known for reconfiguring geometric forms into bold, abstract compositions, Ojovan carefully manipulates shape and surface texture to create spaces that both reference architectural forms and allow for personal interpretation. Additionally, her controlled use of lacquer and oil—emphasizing surface and material—parallels Auerbach’s engagement with the tactile quality of the painted surface.

Ojovan’s choice of lacquer adds a heightened dimensionality, evoking the tactile richness of works by artists like Frank Stella or Donald Judd, who pioneered the concept of art as object. In Sarmizegetusa N 78, the smooth finish of the lacquer contrasts with the softer, more traditional texture of oil, encouraging a dialogue between the materials, much like Judd’s experiments with industrial materials in his sculptural works. This interaction between materials elevates Ojovan’s painting beyond its visual forms, emphasizing the objecthood of the canvas itself.

By merging these diverse influences—from modernist pioneers to her own architectural heritage—Ojovan’s Sarmizegetusa N 78 occupies a distinctive place in the field of ultra-contemporary abstract painting. Her work offers not only a formal exploration of color and shape but also a meditative reflection on personal memory, time, and space, positioning her within a broader conversation about the evolution of abstraction in the 21st century. Through this synthesis of form, material, and meaning, Ojovan successfully bridges historical traditions with contemporary sensibilities, adding significant depth and value to her oeuvre within the field.

In P24-sea, Tycjan Knut presents a work characterized by soft gradients of blue and subtle transitions between light and shadow. The minimalist composition invites the viewer to explore the interplay between form and color, with the vertical division creating a gentle tension. The delicate tonal variations and use of muted colors evoke a serene, atmospheric quality, reminiscent of natural elements such as water or sky. The clean lines and layered hues exemplify Knut’s ability to craft abstract pieces that are both meditative and dynamic, making this work a striking example of his intuitive approach to painting.

This work, titled Untitled (1983) by Bram Bogart, is a striking example of his approach to painting as a highly textural and sculptural medium. The relief piece, measuring 65.1 x 69.8 x 14.9 cm, showcases his characteristic thick application of materials, creating a dynamic three-dimensional surface. In this particular work, Bogart uses bold, contrasting colors—blue, green, pink, and white—to form a tactile composition. The central portion appears dominated by a swirl of white and pink, giving it a sense of movement and fluidity, while the surrounding blue and green provide a strong structural base. The layers of material, likely his signature mixture of oil, varnish, mortar, raw pigment, and other components, are built up to form a dense and crusty surface, pushing the boundaries between painting and sculpture. This work embodies Bogart’s interest in the physical possibilities of his medium and his exploration of balance between color and form.