Christoph Dahlhausen
New Ways to Colour the Wall

Christoph Dalhausen has been described as a researcher in colour and painter of light. He specializes in facades, glass walls, installations and art-in-architecture projects.

In a practice that is determined by the characteristics of the site, he applies translucent colour film to large-scale glass windows so the interior light and space take on a new aspect.  Vertical or horizontal strips of colour create new rhythms for the facade and the formation of new reflections and shadows transform the spaces.

A careful look at The Two Rooms façade reveals Dahlhausen has applied narrow strips of blue vinyl to the glass, which play with the sunlight as it moves across the building.   Eighteen years ago Dalhausen proclaimed that he no longer paints but with these site-specific interventions he allows the light to paint for itself.

New Ways to Colour the Wall is from a new series of work, comprising a wooden crate which contains many small discs. The crate can come in all sizes depending on the site. The discs are fabricated from metal, including aluminum, painted stainless steel and mirrored surfaces, to comprise, quite deliberately, a mix of very reflective, brightly coloured and matt objects.

Very playfully the dots are applied to the wall, creating a canvas from the gallery wall with the dots, the paint. For some one who has abandoned the mechanism of painting he now has the means to create a wall painting.

In addition the crate, which has been used for shipping purposes, becomes part of the work with all its travel dings and knocks.  In some instances all dots can remain in the box, at another venue the dots might spread out on the wall to create a busy or dense image. It very much depends on the artist’s response to the space.