Line becomes space, sound and movement: The Kunsthalle Mannheim is dedicating a major exhibition to the Austrian artist Constantin Luser, in which drawing transcends its boundaries and becomes a polyphonic, expansive experience.
With this exhibition, the Kunsthalle Mannheim is continuing its program of presenting radical repositionings of drawing. On show is a major exhibition of works by the Austrian artist Constantin Luser, which includes drawings, wire objects and instrument sculptures. By linking drawing, object and sound, Luser consistently transcends the boundaries of conventional drawing: he questions the function of the line as soon as it leaves the two-dimensional support, conquers space, sets itself in motion or expresses itself as invisible sound.
The Vienna-based artist pursues different approaches, which he develops in a processual manner. Starting from a traditional understanding of disegno - the first idea spontaneously put down on paper - he gives free rein to his thoughts. In other works, the drawing detaches itself from the paper, dematerializes and continues to exist as an idea: a pure line that asserts itself as a dynamic, constantly changing element in space.
Luser uses wire or pipes and combines these materials with spatial and acoustic experiments. Delicate, fragile-looking wire objects float in space, move easily and create shadow plays that refer to changing perspectives and the mobility of thought. Other forms gain physical presence and grow into complex structures made of thicker tubes that point inwards and outwards. This creates spaces that oscillate between the inner world and external perception - and make it possible to experience the extent to which both areas permeate each other.
Finally, in the instrument sculpture, the pipes condense into a polyphonic structure. Several voices unite and create an energetic synergy. This polyphony creates a new unity between work, artist and audience - a dialog of space, sound and line that has an immediate effect and lasts for a long time.
November 7, 2025 to March 1, 2026
