How is art created? With this question, the Kunsthalle Barmen opens its doors for its next exhibition, “EX NIHILO,” on October 17 at 7 p.m. Until December 14, visitors can view works that address questions of artistic knowledge and production—and the widespread notion that art can be created “out of nothing.” The exhibition title “EX NIHILO” alludes to the ancient theological idea of creation from nothing, which in art history has long been associated with the myth of creative genius.
Image above: Friedrich Von Borries, Warten Langweilen Träumen Schlafen.
But instead of celebrating genius, the exhibition focuses on other perspectives: How do artists really work? What paths, detours, and breaks are part of the process before a work is created? The focus is on approaches and strategies of artistic creation that seem to run counter to common notions of efficient working methods. “We want to show that artistic work is neither straightforward nor magical, but is based on a variety of methods and practices,” explains Katja Pfeiffer, director of the Kunsthalle Barmen and professor of art at the University of Wuppertal. “This includes seemingly mundane activities such as aimless wandering, collecting, crafting, or resting, as well as conscious refusal, experimentation, failure, or even the destruction of works.” Visitors to the exhibition can see how these processes are reflected in contemporary art—and discover works that play with these ideas in both humorous and critical ways.
How to turn a Porsche into a painting, ©Bastian Hoffmann.
Paths of inspiration among other things, the exhibition refers to cultural theorist Friedrich von Borries, who in his model of “artistic epistemology” describes artistic production in phases such as wandering around, sleeping in, crafting, refusing, destroying, or exhibiting. As part of the exhibition, his works will take a look at how, for example, walking around or exploring an environment can accompany the creative process through the experience of space and the collection of inspiration, or how the succinct “crafting” as a form of material exploration can serve to gain an understanding of a wide variety of aesthetic principles in a practical way through the design of objects.
How to turn a Porsche into a painting 3, ©Bastian Hoffmann.
Other practices also find their place in the exhibition. Among other things, the artists show how so-called “cornering” – i.e., lingering, hanging out, waiting, or celebrating, often in public places – can inspire the artistic creative process. True to the motto: inspiration often arises where you least expect it, for example, by spending time together in places such as street cafés or parks. “Waiting for inspiration” is understood as an active process in which new ideas and creative impulses arise through spending time together, according to the event announcement.
WHEN?
Opening: Friday, October 17, 2025, 7 p.m.
Exhibition dates: Friday, October 17 to Sunday, December 14, 2025
Opening hours: Thursday – Sunday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WHERE?
KUNSTHALLE BARMEN
Im Haus der Jugend Barmen
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 4-6
42269 Wuppertal
