HANOVER.- The solo exhibition Multiface stands as one of the most extensive presentations of Paloma Varga Weisz's work. Showcasing her latest creations alongside key pieces from over three decades, it offers a profound glimpse into her poetic yet subversive artistic practice. Her body of work – including sculptures, watercolors, drawings, and installations – delves into existential questions surrounding identity, memory, vulnerability, and transformation. Figures and forms inhabit a liminal space between the familiar and the uncanny, the physical and the narrative.

Trained as a wood sculptor, Varga Weisz purposefully disrupts traditional craftsmanship. By mastering and simultaneously undermining traditional techniques, she produces works that challenge classical notions of materiality and form. Her sculptures blend historical references with surreal elements, humor, and subtle irony, exploring the boundaries between artisanal precision and contemporary reflection.

A highlight of the exhibition is the series Wilde Leute (1998–2024), which spans from small ceramic figurines to monumental bronze sculptures. These hybrid beings, merging human and animal traits, deconstruct gender roles and familial archetypes. They provoke questions about isolation, community, and the transition from humanity to nature. Central to this is Rug People (2011), inspired by the former train station in Folkestone, England, a departure point for soldiers during World War I. This poignant piece addresses migration, loss, and the fragility of human narratives, serving as a quiet homage to Varga Weisz's father, a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II.

The titular work, Multiface (2019), a multi-faced silver head gazing in all directions, symbolizes the fluid boundaries of identity and life's perpetual transformation. This polycephalic motif invites viewers to perceive identity not as a fixed entity but as an evolving construct, embracing rupture and transition as essential aspects of existence.

Paloma Varga Weisz (b. 1966, Mannheim) studied at the Düsseldorf Academy under Tony Cragg and Gerhard Merz. Her work continues to engage deeply with themes of identity, memory, and transformation.

Curator: Alexander Wilmschen

The exhibition is on view at The Kestner Gesellschaft until March 2, 2025.