Tatjana Doll is one of the most renowned German artists of her generation and is presenting a selection of new and older works in her current exhibition ‚Auftrag‘ at Galerie Tobias Naehring. The exhibition takes visitors on a visually impressive and thematically profound tour, linking diverse aspects of the (post-)modern and historical world.

At the center of the exhibition are large-scale paintings depicting self-driving luxury cars and crash test dummies. These works reflect Doll’s exploration of technology and safety, while raising questions about humanity and control in an increasingly automated world.

These works are complemented by a piece from her series of nurses, which pay homage to Richard Prince’s ‚Nurse Paintings‘, but can also be read as a profound appreciation of the importance of healthcare.

Another aspect of the exhibition are the paintings of horsemen, which are strongly reminiscent of commissioned works from past centuries and echo the masterpieces of Velázquez. The paintings combine historical painting techniques and motifs with a modern perspective, recurring to the exhibition title ‚Auftrag‘ (also application of paint), thus creating a bridge between past and present.

These are complemented by a sculptural intervention: a modernist sofa bed that the artist has covered with canvas remnants and on which leans a drawing that she made in her early youth, also depicting a scene from Velázquez’s ouevre.

All these different elements come together to form a painterly feedback space that reflects the title of the exhibition ‚Auftrag‘. Doll explores the themes of responsibility, tradition and innovation in her works and invites viewers to reflect on the role of the artist and the expectations of art in today’s society.

Tatjana Doll’s exhibition ‚Auftrag‘ is a profound, visually stunning and intellectually stimulating journey through themes that touch on the present and history alike. It represents an important contribution to contemporary German art and underlines Doll’s position as one of the leading artists of her generation.

Text: Tobias Naehring