A new exhibition titled "Bad Moon Rising: Stefan Kürten and Gehard Demetz" has opened at Beck and Eggeling International Fine Art in Düsseldorf, running through May 31, 2025. The show brings together two contemporary artists who work with wood, marking their first joint presentation. Gehard Demetz, a South Tyrolian artist trained in traditional sacred figure carving, creates almost-life-size children's sculptures that address social media, community, and personal development, often leaving voids in the final construction. Stefan Kürten, based in Düsseldorf, presents his "Sunken Relief Paintings," a new series inspired by a discarded woodcut printing block, depicting surreal residential architecture in dark tonal hues.
The exhibition matters because it highlights the enduring creative and expressive potential of wood as a medium in contemporary art, while showcasing two distinct approaches that both engage with and subvert traditional woodworking techniques. By juxtaposing Demetz's figurative, socially engaged sculptures with Kürten's architectural reliefs, the show offers insight into how wood-based art can evolve, bridging historical craft with contemporary themes and formal experimentation.