Aus der Tiefe in den Raum – exhibition by Philipp Keidler in Halle

Aus der Tiefe in den Raum
January 15-19, 2025
Philipp Keidler

15.01. Opening 17:00
16.01. 15:00-18:00
17.01. 15:00-18:00
18.01. 15:00-20:00
19.01. 11:00-16:00

Blech
Raum für Kunst e.V
Am Steintor 19
06112 Halle (Saale)

While visiting an old salt dump near Teutschenthal in 2018, Philipp Keidler makes an astonishing observation. The strangely idyllic nature of the industrial wasteland with the white mountain in the background reminds him of his home, the Allgäu Alps. He captures the impression photographically. Based on this experience, the author explores disreputable connections: The underground cavities of the former salt mine between Halle-Angersdorf and Teutschenthal are filled with highly toxic waste, such as industrial slag, by the company GTS.
GTS acquired the tunnel from the Treuhand in order to “secure” it by backfilling. Backfilling is intended to prevent rockfalls and earthquakes on the surface. GTS has been a subsidiary of the Allgäu-based Geiger Group since 2008. The artist recognizes Geiger's typical green coat of paint on the ventilation shaft. After the purchase, the down-to-earth family business increased the backfill in the mine to over 200,000 tons of industrial waste per year.

Philipp Keidler searches above and below ground for the strange and finds the familiar. He shows the overlapping of idyll and dystopia. The result, however, is not a blurred reference, but a re-sorting of the familiar and the relationships of space. The simplicity of the forms and the restrained play with building materials and raw materials create a simple, clear atmosphere without being simple.

The surface is broken by sounds, picked up by geophone from the depths of the gallery and the Allgäu valleys. The layered sounds make the invisible audible. In this way, the artist creates access to mining at a depth of 700m under Halle-Angersdorf and brings fragments of his own biography to light. The installation is complemented by documentary reports from local residents and a project manager from the shaft sinking.
Philipp Keidler's works invite visitors to experience an immersive, intimate encounter with post-industrial decay and the (apparent) idyll of home. The uncertainty remains as to what is familiar and what is alienating.

(Text: Ekke Metzger)

Philipp Keidler has lived and worked in Halle (Saale) since 2015.
He studied at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle in the class of Prof. Stella Geppert and at the Villa Arson in Nice.
His conceptual works are based on a scientific approach. He moves in a field of tension between authenticity and fiction and creates his own associations for the viewer with his works.

The project was created as part of the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design's graduate funding program and was supported by Werkleitz as part of the equipment rental.