plains/portals

Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais presents "plains/portals", an exhibition of new paintings by Austrian artist Nick Oberthaler. The large-scale works explore the canvas as a threshold or window, balancing geometric abstraction with implied illusionistic space. A series of smaller, more gestural works are also on view.

Oberthaler engages with historical painting theories, particularly linear perspective and the Renaissance concept of the painting as a window. His abstract, minimalistic language suggests openings, playing with the viewer's perception of flatness and depth. The use of aluminium paint adds a reflective quality, shifting with the viewer's movement. The works also incorporate subtle references to the structure of the canvas and frame, and explore different modes of presentation, such as painting onto the sides of the canvas. The exhibition juxtaposes technological silver and bright colours with earthy tones, creating a dialogue between digital and natural, geometry and gesture, surface and depth.