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Sigmar Polke
(1941-2010)
Pavillon Biennale Venedig,
1986
Material / Technology / Carrier
Silbergelatinepapier (Unikat)
Dimensions of the object
30,8 x 40,4 cm
Displayed
PdM Temporär 1
Acquisition
1992 erworben
Stock
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Pinakothek der Moderne
Citation
Sigmar Polke, Pavillon Biennale Venedig, 1986, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Pinakothek der Moderne, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/gR4kOjN4Ee (Last updated on 18.02.2026)
In 1986, Sigmar Polke won the Golden Lion for his contribution to the Venice Biennale. He had transformed the German Pavilion into an alchemist’s kiln, the “athanor” that in the Middle Ages was regarded as the place for the final step in the creation of the philosopher’s stone.
Polke had approached this historically highly significant location in advance with a camera. He used it to capture architectural impressions and exposed these same rolls of film a second time to capture other motifs he encountered on site, such as foam of unclear origin or a cracked pane of glass. This experimental approach continued in the darkroom: Polke deliberately used developer and fixer solutions contrary to their usual function, so that the prints appear smeared and “contaminated.”
The overlapping motifs, along with the streaks and discolorations create unsettling in-between images. They make the place appear as if it is both shaped by the past and at the same time broken.
Polke had approached this historically highly significant location in advance with a camera. He used it to capture architectural impressions and exposed these same rolls of film a second time to capture other motifs he encountered on site, such as foam of unclear origin or a cracked pane of glass. This experimental approach continued in the darkroom: Polke deliberately used developer and fixer solutions contrary to their usual function, so that the prints appear smeared and “contaminated.”
The overlapping motifs, along with the streaks and discolorations create unsettling in-between images. They make the place appear as if it is both shaped by the past and at the same time broken.
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