The exhibition, The Future Lasts Forever : Contemporary Paintings from Europe focuses on painting, the medium of our time, which was, is, and will be recognized for its value, a value that will never fade. The present world is a multi- media era, and is definitely having its glorious days with a variety of genres combining with each other and creating new fields of media. We wish to seriously consider, search and share the meaning and value of painting which became somewhat familiar and even unoriginal in this brilliant and unpredictable era.
A white canvas can either be a completely empty space or be totally full. A medium can scatter its seeds, put down roots, and bear fruits inside this, and space of creation is established. This space has always been challenged through- out the changes of history; nevertheless, it still presents its existence, and there is no doubt that it will do so in the future. Who would deny the fact that nothing more than a blank space of canvas and the artist himself can create the most intimate communication?
A thought is in a brush stroke, and what we encounter inside the parameter of a picture made by many neat layers of brush strokes is a‘entire world’beyond substance. A ‘entire world’ here is by no means a perfect world where flaw- less humanity is ruled out. In the value of painting, there is a world that embraces the value of human nature and meaningfulness of creation, wriggling in the picture. That wriggle is never confined to a canvas. It has a power to expand from the artist who unfolds it to the object he faces, and to the open world as the artwork itself. The power of painting does not go against the times, and is not adverse to the times either. It is valuable and meaningful in that it establishes its own existence and continues to exist after its birth.
This exhibition focuses on the relationship between the artist and the medium, and the meaning and value of attitude as well as posture. Furthermore, by entering into a whole world of creation with one’s own wings, we would like to encounter the world which asks the meaning of present life and existence with the experience of uncanniness and novelty.
The exhibition, The Future Lasts Forever : Contemporary Paintings from Europe means the revival and reinstatement of painting. We believe that it will be an opportunity to rediscover its value. The works of the artists who will be introduced in this exhibition are the ones that will last forever throughout the history of art, and their values will be recognized in the future. The Future Lasts Forever : Contemporary Paintings from Europe has a symbolic significance on this matter.
L. Altusser(1918-1990, French philosopher) once mentioned in his book L’avenir dure longtemp(“The Future Lasts Forever”), that history is more imaginative than human beings. Not to mention the history of art, the exhibition will be an opportunity to meet the best artists of today, who are writing a page of history. L’avenir dure longtemp(“The Future Lasts Forever”), and the value of our selected artists will live throughout the his- tory. And, we believe that the ones who have found the value and authenticity of the works of the artists will also feel the satisfactory value.
Since the field of painting and its value is being expanded and resurrected these days, the purpose of this exhibition is to review and draw attention to the meanings of painting and the authority it once had in the past. We would like to select remarkable artists who already attained international competitiveness in the field of painting within the contemporary art, and show their works Korea.

Selected Artists
Susanne Kühn | Tilo Baumgärtel | Uwe Kowski | Slawomir Elsner | Caro Niederer | Christian Hellmich |
Peter Busch | Peter Böhnisch | Erik Schmidt

*image (left)
Station, Christian Hellmich, Oil on Canvas, 2008, 281x409cm