Art as a bridge between city and agriculture
Through intensive visits to farms in Einbeck and the surrounding area, Gunga delves deeply into themes related to agriculture and explores the interplay between town and country. Inspired by Neo-Expressionism, he develops a powerful visual language in oil on canvas.
"The exhibition aims to strengthen the connection between city and country and raise awareness of the importance of agriculture in urban areas," says Maxim Gunga. "Agriculture plays a central role in sustainable urban development – and yet its influence often remains underestimated."
Billy Jacob on the visual world of Maxim Gunga
At the exhibition opening, Dr. Peter Hofmann, member of the KWS board, and Billy Jacob, director of the 888 collection, spoke. The art historian has followed Maxim Gunga for many years and classifies his work within the expressive and neo-expressionist post-war painting movement, inspired by artists such as Baselitz, Lüpertz, and the "Neue Wilden" (New Wild Artists).
"Maxim Gunga thinks in images, not in theses. His painting is not a commentary, it is a movement of thought," Jacob describes. "He creates a multifaceted visual world in which rural knowledge, urban culture, and artistic thought enter into dialogue with one another."
Paintings that ask questions
In his paintings, Maxim Gunga condenses impressions and experiences from Einbeck and the surrounding area into expressive pictorial spaces. Landscapes, machines, and animals collide with symbols of the urban world, creating a visual narrative about identity, change, and coexistence.
The large-format work “The Farm” shows a colorful topography of the rural landscape: cows, horses, pigs, tractors, and abstracted building structures merge into a scene between the present, memory, and vision.
In “Sheep Bunker,” black sheep, some of them numbered, appear in front of a former air raid shelter – an image that raises questions of belonging, protection, and adaptation.
Machines and myths also meet in “On Track,” where an orange tractor pushes through a disturbed forest – a symbol of the conflict between technological progress and the natural environment.
"Nature is not romantic, it is political," explains Billy Jacob. Gunga's works are simultaneously poetic and social, creating spaces for reflection on pressing questions about the future.
Anyone interested is cordially invited to visit the exhibition. On the final day of the exhibition, August 13, 2025, there will be a closing reception in a relaxed after-work atmosphere with free drinks and appetizers. The artist will also participate, offering the opportunity to engage in conversation with him.
Period: May 22 to August 13, 2025
Opening hours: Wed 10am – 1pm, Fri 3pm – 6pm, Sat 10am – 1pm
Location: NEWCOMER KWS Art Lounge, Tiedexer Str. 20, 37574 Einbeck
Admission: Free
> To the exhibition