HAGEN.- Niclas Castello welcomes you to join his new exhibition BORN TO BE ALIVE at Osthaus Museum in Hagen, Germany. Niclas Castello is a contemporary artist – who plays a modern influence in the Neo-Expressionist movement. The background of each piece created by Castello is a true story rooting from real life experiences or a historical event, the art produced remains free of any judgement as it refers to mechanisms and memories residing within the artist. By creating a language with his pictorial symbols, he transforms all actual events that occurred into conceivable facts in the work – and vice versa. The relationships between these symbolisms give rise to infinite keys to interpreting what is shown, yet a common denominator is always recognisable that provides the viewer with an anchor point as access to knowledge of the meta-level of the work.

Castello’s actual exhibition is called “Born to be Alive” meaning that every living being, from the moment of its birth, has the right to be alive and has the right to life. The title and the architectural design of the exhibition are intended to make people reflect on nature's right to the basic need of existence.

“Born to be Alive” represents an experience that we all share as human beings: the connection with nature is something innate in every person, which allows for a close correlation to nature on our terms. The exhibition design will portrait a hospital framework where the real patient is nature, reporting the exploitation of the planet's resources.

The work represents an extremity to an inadmissible situation, in which the viewer witnesses absurd strategies to provide nature of its righteous necessities – to stay alive.

Reconciling the expressed perspectives thus far, this is one of the interpretations of Castello's work, certainly the first of the significant values, but it leaves room for an infinite variable of interpretations, which the artist always welcomes with curiosity and attentiveness. Another prospect is undoubtedly the rebirth of the artist as well, Castello's right to life and his right to express himself through Art, leading to a personal need of feeling alive.

The exhibition bears the symbolic Castello artist signature with his works enclosed inside the plexiglass box: an unusual technique in order to capture the moment from which the work arises. The creative process behind this practice comes from the need to stop time, all moments are ephemeral just as the human condition and that of every living being.

“I hope my art inspires people to step in and start generating positive approaches, to advance the future generations in efforts of a better planet.” - Niclas Castello.

Osthaus Museum
Niclas Castello: Born to be Alive
September 16th, 2023 - November 19th, 2023