There are many ways to approach the Absolute: Art in the Pauluskirche Bochum
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Between Finite and Infinite: Art as an Approach to the Absolute
The exhibition There are many ways to approach the Absolute... brings together for the first time in the Evangelical Pauluskirche Bochum works by Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT. From October 9 to 24, 2026, two independent artistic positions that have been interconnected for many years and yet have found different paths to art will meet.
Two Artists, Two Paths to Transcendence
BĀLAVAT developed a powerful, large-format visual language between object art, philosophical pop art, and lyrical-philosophical text. His works create connections from the mundane to the universal and focus on fundamental questions of human existence. The exhibition makes visible how contemporary art translates spiritual, social, and philosophical themes into an immediately experienceable form.
Renate von Charlottenburg approaches the same big questions with an almost contrary aesthetic. Her detailed pencil-ink drawings appear quiet, tender, and playful. Myths and fairy tales from East and West form the conceptual resonance space of her imagery. In her so-called Meta-Romanticism, she connects historical pictorial traditions with an independent, humorous, and poetic contemporary perspective.
The Pauluskirche as Exhibition Space
The sacred architecture of the Pauluskirche gives a special exhibition atmosphere to the contemplation of the works. Between room height, light, and concentrated silence, an art experience emerges in which painting, drawing, object image, and text enter into a dialogue with the church space. The aesthetic experience unfolds not only through individual motifs but also through the tension between materiality, spirituality, and architectural setting.
Art Historical Perspectives and Cultural Education
The exhibition opens art historical references from German early Romanticism to contemporary art. While BĀLAVAT works with striking expression and philosophical condensation, Renate von Charlottenburg develops a delicate visual language of suggestion. Together, the artists show that an approach to the Absolute is not bound to a specific style but can occur in very different forms of perception.
At the opening, actor Hansa Czypionka will read texts related to BĀLAVAT's images. The event will be moderated by philosopher and publisher Andreas Mascha. Renate von Charlottenburg will be present at the vernissage. BĀLAVAT, who passed away in 2019, remains present through his works and writings.
Opening Hours and Vernissage
The exhibition is open from Wednesday to Friday from 3 PM to 7 PM and Saturday from 12 PM to 6 PM. Visits are possible upon request as well. The vernissage will take place on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 7 PM. The exhibition date on October 15, 2026, offers a special opportunity to experience the connection between contemporary art, sacred space, and philosophical reflection in Bochum starting at 10 AM.
Conclusion: An Art Experience Between Image, Space, and Thought
You can expect an exhibition that does not set spiritual questions in stone but keeps them open. The works of Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT invite concentrated contemplation and demonstrate how differently art can touch the invisible. Anyone wishing to combine aesthetic experience, art historical inspiration, and cultural education should not miss the opportunity to experience this exhibition live in the Pauluskirche Bochum.
Official Channels of Renate von Charlottenburg and BĀLAVAT:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: no official profile found
