In this conversation, Berlin-based artist Marco Wachsmuth shares insights into his artistic journey, from figurative beginnings to a more open, abstract visual language. He speaks about the influence of Berlin’s creative atmosphere, the need for personal structure, and his approach to developing large, cohesive series. With an intuitive and atmospheric style, Wachsmuth embraces ambiguity, allowing viewers to bring their own interpretations to his evolving body of work.
You're based in Berlin. How does the Berlin art scene influence your work and creative process?
I really value Berlin’s creative energy and enjoy how easy it is to connect with new people here. That said, I try to keep external influences at bay when it comes to content. I find my inspiration in distant times—long gone—and respond to them from today’s perspective. I’m interested in continuing conversations that others began long before me.
You’ve shifted from figurative painting to pure abstraction—what prompted this change, and what new possibilities has it opened up for you?
At some point, figuration felt too concrete—I couldn’t find space to develop something new within it. Still, the figurative—and more broadly, the representational—was important as a foundation from which I could grow.
My work isn’t entirely abstract, though. There are always hints of possible figuration, but these are deliberately left open. I want to give the viewer the freedom to interpret what they see in their own way.
Can you tell us more about your artistic process? How do your abstract works come into being?
To avoid the fear of the blank canvas, I start each piece by using leftover paint from cleaning up—just making free, spontaneous marks without thinking too much. I often don’t really look at the canvas again until I return to the studio. Then I ask myself what it's telling me and how I might want to enter into the painting.
My focus is on creating atmosphere and a painting style that feels as free and self-contained as possible. I want to keep myself interested—so I’m constantly evolving my approach, without reinventing it completely.
What are your upcoming plans and projects, particularly with regard to your participation in KUNST/MITTE in Magdeburg?
Moving forward, I’ll continue working in larger series—something I’ve been doing for the past two years. Each series centres around an overarching theme that I explore for about a year. Only once it’s complete do I begin something new.
I used to work on many things at once, but it left me feeling like nothing ever got finished. Now, I need this kind of structure in order to paint with real freedom—without getting lost in the process.
At KUNST/MITTE, I’ll be showing some smaller landscape-based works that I developed intensely over a two-year period. I’d also like to include pieces from my recent solo exhibition “Verstärker, oder die Öffnung des Raums”(Amplifier, or the Opening of Space).
What role do you think abstract art plays today? What makes it relevant or exciting for you?
I find the current moment in art incredibly exciting. There are so many people experimenting and trying to do their own thing. It seems less important now where you studied or with whom—what matters is what you're doing right now.
As a self-taught artist, I find that shift very encouraging. I see huge potential in non-representational forms of expression, and I’m constantly discovering works that really move me.
Of course, there’s also a lot of banal work out there that gains high visibility. But that has nothing to do with me—I stay on my path and see where it leads.
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