When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition will be on view from October 9 to October 24, 2026, at the Evangelical Pauluskirche Bochum.

Where does the exhibition take place?

The venue is the Evangelical Pauluskirche at Grabenstraße 9, 44787 Bochum.

Which artists are being featured?

Works by Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT will be shown for the first time together in Bochum.

Is there an opening event?

Yes. At the opening, Hansa Czypionka will read texts related to BĀLAVAT's images. The event will be moderated by Andreas Mascha.

What are the opening hours?

The exhibition is open Wednesday to Friday from 3 PM to 7 PM and Saturday from 12 PM to 6 PM. Visits are also possible by appointment.

What is the admission fee?

A binding admission price is not specified in the researched event information.

Two artists, one sacred space: Paths to the Absolute in Bochum's Pauluskirche

Name: Exhibition: There are many ways to approach the Absolute...
Start: 2026-10-12T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-24T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Evangelische Pauluskirche

Two artistic paths to the Absolute in the Pauluskirche

The exhibition There are many ways to approach the Absolute... brings together for the first time works by Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT at the Evangelical Pauluskirche Bochum. In the sacred space, two independent positions confront the infinite, the transcendent, and the great questions of human existence.

Between philosophical pop art and poetic drawing

BĀLAVAT approaches the Absolute with energetic, powerful, and large-format object images. Lyrical-philosophical texts accompany his eye-catching imagery, creating conceptual bridges from the profane to the universal. His art connects contemporary means with fundamental questions of meaning, reality, and humanity's place in the world.

Renate von Charlottenburg, on the other hand, develops an almost contrasting expression. Her pencil-ink drawings appear quiet, detailed, tender, and playful. Myths and fairy tales from East and West form the cultural resonance space of her imagery. In a distinctive form of meta-romanticism, she transforms familiar narrative motifs into new perspectives and opens the view for spiritual interspaces.

An exhibition about contrasts and complementarity

For almost five decades, Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT were connected as a couple. However, both remained consistently independent in their artistic work. It is this tension between closeness and difference that shapes the curation of the exhibition: powerful object art meets delicate drawing, philosophical directness meets poetic insinuation.

The contemplation of the works takes on a special spatial effect in the Pauluskirche. Light, architecture, and the quiet atmosphere of the church space create a focused framework for aesthetic experience. Visitors experience painting-related image objects, drawings, texts, and installations not in isolation but in dialogue with a place that itself points towards transcendence and contemplation.

Opening with reading and discussion

At the opening, actor Hansa Czypionka reads texts related to BĀLAVAT's images. The event is moderated by philosopher and publisher Andreas Mascha. Renate von Charlottenburg will be present at the opening. BĀLAVAT, who passed away in 2019, remains present through his images and writings.

Art as a mirror of the infinite

Both artists pursued the ideal of making the infinite and absolute visible within the finite and relative. The exhibition thus not only invites the contemplation of individual works but also personal reflection. Cultural education arises here through encounters with different artistic languages, historical myth traditions, and philosophical thought movements.

The exhibition atmosphere promises a concentrated art experience between quiet drawing, expressive object art, and spiritually charged architecture. Those who understand contemporary art as a space for thought, sensory experience, and an invitation for self-questioning will find an impressive place of encounter at the Pauluskirche.

Conclusion: An exhibition for curious eyes

There are many ways to approach the Absolute... presents two artistic personalities whose works hint at different ways beyond the visible. The combination of philosophical pop art, poetic drawing, text, and sacred space makes the exhibition a unique aesthetic experience. Visit the presentation live and discover how diverse art can speak between myth, transcendence, and the present.