ART CITIES: Baden-Baden, Viron Erol Vert

In his artistic practice, Viron Erol Vert probes and analyses – against the background of his own intercultural experiences – identity constructs and different aspects and perspectives related to the self and the other. His works are shaped by the state and atmosphere of an in-between existence, with the artist weaving various cultures, materials, languages, forms of expression, and life views into a hybrid, complementary identity.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden Archive

Raised in an inter-cultural family environment straddling the north of Germany, Istanbul/Turkey and Athens/Greece, Viron Erol Vert currently divides his time between Berlin/Germany and the Mediterranean region. The artistic design of the foyer of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden and Café Kunsthalle follows a long tradition. In 2024, the artist Viron Erol Vert takes over the redesign and redesign of the rooms. Entitled “Garden of Ornaments”, the installation refers to the multicultural history of Baden-Baden, in particular the spa culture and its transcultural development. Vert always positions his research from different directions, especially in order to gain a comprehensive view of the city’s structure, its multi-layered and extensive history and to be able to analyze and understand the current atmosphere. During his extensive research in Baden-Baden, which lasted several years, Viron Erol Vert explored the city and its socio-cultural characteristics: The water at the center of the city, its role as a remedy and connecting element, the coming together of people of many origins, the confluence of many cultures, languages since the beginning of its history and nature. Its reflections can be found in the light, colors, form, architecture and ornamentation within the installation. With the artistic redesign of the foyer of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden and Café Kunsthalle by Viron Erol Vert, the program of Çağla Ilk and Misal Adnan Yıldız ties in with earlier installative interventions such as those by Daniel Buren, Tobias Rehberger and Günther Förg. Vert’s works are fundamentally characterized by the state and atmosphere of being in-between. They weave together different cultures, materials, languages, forms of expression, ways of seeing, and even views of life into a hybrid, complementary identity. His interest oscillates between religious systems, cultural identity, and linguistic experiences, reflecting the contrasts that result from combining antagonizing elements. He is interested in scientific research and monotheistic religions, cultural narratives and clichés, elements of club culture and craft traditions. In his artistic work, Vert seeks to reveal and overcome abstract and theoretical boundaries in order to enrich life with acoustic, social and physical imaginary, as well as pictorial and sculptural spaces.

Photo: Viron Erol Vert, Garden of Ornaments, Installation view Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, © Viron Erol Vert, Courtesy the artist and Kunsthalle Baden-Baden

Info: Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Lichtentaler Allee 8a, Baden-Baden, Germany, Duration: 8/3/2024-303/4/2026, Days & Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, https://kunsthalle-baden-baden.de/