Jürgen Brodwolf, Mark Dion, Friedrich Einhoff, Leonor Fini, Almut Heise, Juul Kraijer, Jürgen Klauke, Daniel Mohr, Nik Nowak, Meret Oppenheim, Man Ray, Dieter Roth, Caroline Smit, Toyen, Ursula, VLAD, Günter Weseler

THAUMA

Jun 13th – Jul 19th, 2025

Installationview ® Marcus Schneider

Installationview ® Marcus Schneider

Opening on June 13th, 6 – 9 pm

 

 

With works by

 

Jürgen Brodwolf
Mark Dion
Friedrich Einhoff
Leonor Fini
Almut Heise
Juul Kraijer
Jürgen Klauke
Daniel Mohr
Nik Nowak
Meret Oppenheim
Man Ray
Dieter Roth
Caroline Smit
Toyen
Ursula
Wainer Vaccari
VLAD
Günter Weseler

 

θαPμα (thauma). According to ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, thauma is the foundational catalyst for philosophical consideration. Due to a lack of linguistic precision, it is  often translated as “wonder” or “marvel” the term carries a deeper significance. Thauma means more than mere astonishment or admiration, it has to be imbued with curiosity. It is the moment of  pause before the spirit of inquiry. Only when the scrutiny and inquisitiveness of the unknown is adopted does it  become the driving force for philosophical thought. Thauma is then a profoundly human impulse.

 

LEVY Gallery’s upcoming group exhibition ‘Thauma’ explores this existential, initially unbiased urge to explore, know and understand. Collecting, preserving or reinventing the new, the unknown or curious forms are starting points for the works in the exhibition. Whether it is Friedrich Einhoff, who takes as his model the specimen boxes of early natural scientists to document enigmatic insect creatures; Toyen’s drawings of natural forms that evoke moments from science-fiction; VLAD’s bizarre human-instrument hybrids; Klauke’s figures reminiscent of surrealist cadavre exquis; or Meret Oppenheim’s perspective on her environment and her ability to surrealistically riddle naming, function, and intentionTogether, these works playfully guide us through the twists and turns of human consciousness, revealing the outcomes of unique artistic perception and interpretation.